An internationally harmonized regulation permitting unlicensed transmission in the lower UHF bands is proposed, e.g. in the 515-605 MHz range. Transmission power levels up to 2 W EIRP are envisioned. This would give citizens a share of the best spectrum for free use. Tools against congestion could be based on mandatory stochastic channel back-off or, if multiple users are present, on adaptive power and bandwidth control. Compared to the FCC TV white space regulation, no back link would be needed as the spectrum would be used exclusively by wireless devices. In an environment of shrinking interest in terrestrial TV broadcasting, such a regulation is expected to create a new market for high-range consumer devices, competing with licensed communication, while being also suitable for offloading traffic from licensed operations. Furthermore, the approach will allow for efficient digitization of equipment for programme making and special events (PMSE). To enable accurate interference prediction, we propose that, instead of only providing transmitter regulation, receivers should also be required to adhere to a certain minimum selectivity.
