New Tools Allow Developers to Leverage Spectrum Data

Posted January 14th, 2011 by James Brown - Wireless Telecommunications Bureau

Today the Federal Communications Commission released two new Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) on our developer page at fcc.gov/developer.  The new APIs leverage data from the Spectrum Dashboard and provide the developer community with direct access to these assets.

Managing spectrum is one of the FCC's primary responsibilities. These APIs are tools that unlock our substantial databases related to spectrum ownership, spectrum use, and spectrum capabilities at different locations.

Below is snapshot of the two APIs.

• Spectrum Bands: This API returns a description of how spectrum bands are allocated and for what uses within the 225 MHz to 3700 MHz frequency range.  This information includes the lower and upper frequencies of each band, the radio services operating within the band, whether the band is allocated for federal or non-federal use, and whether the band permits unlicensed operation.  The API returns data falling within the frequency range specified as the search criteria.
• Spectrum Dashboard Licenses: This API returns an overview of who owns spectrum across the country within the 225 MHz to 3700 MHz frequency range in radio services deemed appropriate for mobile broadband use.  The API returns the call sign, licensee name, common name, radio service code, radio service description, channel block, channel block frequency, market code and market description.

When we released the first set of APIs back in September, we did so as part of our Data Innovation Initiative efforts towards better data transparency and open government.  We continue with those efforts by releasing the second set of APIs today.

Your feedback has been essential to improving these API releases and making them more valuable to developers in the wild (see previous conversations here and here). Let us know what uses you might have for APIs like these, recommended tweaks, or suggest APIs you want to see in the future.

Posted in Wireless Telecommunications Bureau ,  Wireless ,  Open Government ,  Spectrum Dashboard ,  Reform - Data ,  Data ,  Developer ,  Api
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Spectrum Dashboard Gets An Upgrade

Posted November 18th, 2010 by James Brown - Wireless Telecommunications Bureau

On Wednesday, November 17, the first in a series of enhancements to the Spectrum Dashboard were released.  Along with this release, we are excited to announce that the Dashboard is no longer in beta.

The response we’ve received about the Dashboard has been remarkably positive and in the eight short months since its initial release, almost 200,000 searches have been conducted.  To crunch those numbers further – the Dashboard is being searched about 25,000 times a month or in other words, 800 times a day.  Wow!  What’s more impressive is the volume of activity has been pretty consistent month-to-month.

While this week’s release may not be the biggest or the flashiest, it is however, the starting point for bigger and better things to come.  For example, in the next few months, the Dashboard will include additional releases to track leased spectrum, search for licenses across tribal lands, customize maps, and use Application Program Interfaces (APIs) to access data from the Dashboard.  We don’t plan to stop there.  We will continue to evaluate potential candidates for future enhancements.

Here are some of the changes to the Dashboard released this week.

• Advanced Search. The Advanced Search replaces the “License Categories” search and includes several different search criteria located at the same place, including the ability to search for licenses by channel block.  For example, a user can search for all of the licenses in the 700 MHz band or can tailor a search by only searching for A-block licenses in the 700 MHz band.

• Auto Complete for Name Search. The auto complete function allows a user to search by a name and the Spectrum Dashboard will display all names that include the string of letters/characters entered.  For example, by entering “Wire,” a list of all names that include “Wireless” will be displayed.

• Changes to Filters. The filters have been enhanced to allow a user to open and close filters, as they deem appropriate and to include an additional filter for channel blocks.

• Downloading Results.  When a user downloads results by clicking on the “Export Results” link, the results will download automatically if the results are 65,000 rows or less.  If the results are more than 65,000 rows a user will receive an e-mail when the results are available.

We are looking forward to improving the Dashboard even more and encourage you to continue providing feedback.

Posted in Wireless ,  Open Government ,  Spectrum Dashboard ,  Data ,  Developer ,  Api
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Panel to Discuss Future of Spectrum Dashboard 2.0

Posted May 10th, 2010 by James Brown - Wireless Telecommunications Bureau

Last week the FCC announced the eleven panelists for the Spectrum Dashboard public forum this Wednesday, May 12th.

With wide experience in the public and private sectors, the panelists will share their perspectives on the Spectrum Dashboard - how they currently use it and what they would like to see in a Spectrum Dashboard 2.0, anticipated in the fourth quarter of 2010. 

The forum is scheduled for this Wednesday, May 12 from 10:00am to 1pm (EDT) and is open to the publi.  For those attending in person, the event will take place in the FCC’s Commission Meeting Room, 445 12th Street, S.W., Washington, D.C.  Note that attendance is limited by available seating, but the event can be viewed online at http://www.fcc.gov/live or using Webex.

Meet the Panelists

• Byron Barber, NTIA, Office of Spectrum Management, Chief, Strategic Planning Division
• Abhinab Basnyat, Senior Research Associate, The Brattle Group
• Christopher Bjornson, Attorney, Steptoe & Johnson LLP, Co-Chair, FCBA Access to Government Committee
• Michael Calabrese, Vice President & Director, Wireless Future Program, New America Foundation
• Tim Donavon, Director, Legislative Affairs, Rural Cellular Association
• Joe Hanley, Vice President of Technology, Planning and Services,  Telephone and Data Systems, Inc.
• Brian Higgins, Partner, Wilkinson Barker Knauer, LLP
• David Redl, Director, Regulatory Affairs, CTIA, The Wireless Association
• Michael Saperstein, Director of Government Affairs, PCIA, The Wireless Infrastructure Association
• Peter Tannenwald, Member, Fletcher, Heald & Hildreth, P.L.C.
• Peter Tenhula, Vice President & General Counsel, Shared Spectrum Company     

For information on attending, please contact Cecilia Sulhoff at (202) 418-0587 or Cecilia.Sulhoff at FCC dot gov with your name, title, organization affiliation, and contact information.  It is recommended that individuals arrive thirty minutes prior to the start of the forum to pass through security.  There are two options to attend the forum online: 

1. For audio/video coverage of the forum with open captioning over the Web, use www.FCC.gov/live.
2. For video coverage of the forum with open captioning over the Web and the ability to ask questions during the forum, use http://fccevents.webex.com.  Note:  This option requires participants to access the website in advance to receive a password for logging into the forum and to receive a toll free number to hear the audio portion of the forum

 

Posted in Wireless Telecommunications Bureau ,  Spectrum Dashboard
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Help Update the Spectrum Dashboard

Posted April 22nd, 2010 by James Brown - Wireless Telecommunications Bureau

This week the FCC announced that a public forum will be held on May 12, 2010, from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm to discuss potential enhancements to the Spectrum Dashboard in anticipation of release 2.0 of the Spectrum Dashboard in the fourth quarter of 2010.

Anyone interested in providing feedback on the list of potential enhancements below, suggesting additional potential enhancements, or participating at the forum by sharing your experiences with using the Spectrum Dashboard should contact me by April 30, 2010 at James.Brown at FCC dot gov or (717) 338-2621.  Final details of the forum will be announced approximately one week before the forum on this blog and in a public notice.

Potential Enhancements to the Spectrum Dashboard

Enhance license information:

• Add spectrum leases, including the common name for lessees.
• Modify how cellular licenses are depicted in the Spectrum Dashboard by cutting off Service Area Boundaries (SABs) at the Cellular Market Area (CMA) boundaries.
• Update broadcast data to include more current information for full power TV stations and to add data for low power TV stations.

Add search capabilities:

• Identify spectrum licensed on federally-recognized Tribal Lands.
• Add additional types of licenses that can be searched and add additional search options.
• Expand the range of spectrum bands where information is available (currently the Spectrum Dashboard encompasses 225 MHz – 3700 MHz).

Improve search results:

• Modify maps to include information such as FCC market boundaries and third-party data from sources such as the Census Bureau.
• Identify the percentage of geography covered and total population included for counties where a license area does not cover an entire county.

Expand the information available for downloading:

• Provide access to the “shape files” used to create maps.

Posted in Wireless Telecommunications Bureau ,  Spectrum Dashboard
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Customer Feedback for the Spectrum Dashboard

Posted April 14th, 2010 by James Brown - Wireless Telecommunications Bureau

Last week, a customer feedback questionnaire was added to the Spectrum Dashboard.  The questionnaire should take a couple of minutes to complete and will help determine how the Spectrum Dashboard is being used, and how to shape future enhancements. 

After feedback from the questionnaire is collected and analyzed, a workshop will be held to discuss the feedback received, listen to public views on desired upgrades, and discuss ways to expand and improve the information and analyses contained in the Spectrum Dashboard.  The workshop will be announced in a Public Notice as well as through a blog.

To access the questionnaire, click on the “Give us your opinion” link located at the top right corner of any of the Spectrum Dashboard searches (Browse Spectrum Maps, Browse Using a Map, Search by Name, and Search by FCC License Categories).

We look forward to hearing from you.

Posted in Wireless Telecommunications Bureau ,  Spectrum Dashboard
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Spectrum Dashboard – Q&A

Posted March 24th, 2010 by James Brown - Wireless Telecommunications Bureau

Last week, the FCC released the Spectrum Dashboard in beta.  The Spectrum Dashboard is truly an exciting new tool that allows the public to search, map, and download licensing data with just a few clicks of a mouse.

Currently, the search, map, and download features are available for licenses within 225 MHz – 3700 MHz in the following services:

• 700 MHz
• 800 MHz Cellular
• Advanced Wireless Service (AWS)
• Broadband Personal Communications Service (PCS)
• Broadband Radio Service (BRS) and Educational Broadband Service (EBS)
• 2.3 GHz Wireless Communications Service (WCS)
• Full Power TV Broadcast
• Mobile Satellite Services (MSS)

 
Over the years, we have received similar questions from lots of different groups about who holds licenses for certain types of spectrum and where the licenses are held.  The reasons for these questions ranged from an individual trying to locate a mobile phone provider in a specific area, to a company trying to acquire spectrum, to a firm trying to analyze parts of the telecommunications industry.

In the past, we were not able to point anyone to a single place at the FCC where this information could easily be found or understood.  It’s wonderful to finally be able to point someone to the “Spectrum Dashboard.”  Below, I will show how five fairly common questions can be answered by using the Spectrum Dashboard.

Questions that can be answered by using the Spectrum Dashboard

1) Can I see a list of all the licenses held by a company even though the company holds licenses under 100 different legal names?

Yes.  The Spectrum Dashboard associates licenses held under various names to a single “Common Name.”  The Common Name is available for most licenses, including the largest spectrum holders.  The results will include a list of licenses associated with a Common Name as well as the actual licensee name for each license.  From the results page, you can filter results by Tags or Radio Service, view individual licenses, and create maps.

 

2) Can I see a thematic (heat map) that shows how much spectrum a company holds throughout the country?

Yes.  The Spectrum Dashboard provides a county-by-county total of how much spectrum is held by a company based on the “Common Name.”  The results will include a list of licenses associated with a Common Name as well as the actual licensee name for each license.  From the results page, you can filter results by Tags or Radio Service, view individual licenses, and create maps.
 

3) Can I see a thematic (heat map) that shows how much spectrum is licensed for a service throughout the country?

Yes.  The Spectrum Dashboard provides a county-by-county total of how much spectrum is licensed for a specific service (e.g., 700 MHz or Broadband PCS).  The results will include a list of licenses associated with a Common Name as well as the actual licensee name for each license.  From the results page, you can filter results by Common Name or Tags, view individual licenses, and create maps.

4) Can I see a thematic (heat) map that shows how much spectrum is licensed in one or more counties within a state?

Yes.  The Spectrum Dashboard shows how much spectrum is licensed in one or more counties.  The results will include a list of licenses associated with a Common Name as well as the actual licensee name for each license.  From the results page, you can filter results by Common Name, Tags or Radio Service, view individual licenses, and create maps.
 

5) Can I download the data used to answer questions 1 – 4?

Yes.  The Spectrum Dashboard includes a link to download data in a spreadsheet format that includes a list of spectrum held on a county-by-county basis per license. 
 

 

These are just five of the questions that the Spectrum Dashboard can answer.  As you explore the Spectrum Dashboard, we hope to hear from you.

After the Commission collects and analyzes user feedback and information on how the Spectrum Dashboard is being used, the staff will announce a workshop to inform the public about the feedback received to date, listen to public views on desired upgrades, and discuss ways to expand and improve the information and analyses contained in the Spectrum Dashboard.  For example, future enhancements to the software could potentially involve an increase in the types of data that can be searched, advanced mapping capabilities, advanced data export capabilities, integration with other Federal information sources, better analysis tools, and changes to the interface.

Posted in Wireless Telecommunications Bureau ,  Spectrum Dashboard
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