Coexistence of DTV and TV white space systems

Summary It is foreseeable that in near future, heterogeneous TV white space (TVWS) systems will operate in underused TV bands. Potential interference between TVWS systems and digital TV (DTV) broadcast system is a major concern. These TVWS systems need to maintain from the DTV service boundary some keep-out distances dk, which vary depending on circumstances. This work provides a comprehensive analysis on dk for different TVWS devices that operate on co- and adjacent channels, based on 2 different protection criteria for DTV service, using 4 different propagation models (each suits different propagation environment) for estimating dk. In brief, this article contributes to the mathematical technique of determining dk under different circumstances. On the basis of the conditions chosen for the analysis, we come up with some recommendations for dk. Moreover, we share our opinions on some regulatory requirements for dk. The strictness of the regulatory requirement in this matter is important because when it is appropriately set, it can actually promote further development and expansion of TVWS technologies.