Robert Horvitz

Presentation abstract : Europe's New Opening for Cognitive Radio: ASA/LSA
Authorized Shared Access (ASA) was proposed last year by Nokia and Qualcomm as a new kind of spectrum authorization based on dynamic sharing arrangements between incumbents and new users. Cognitive radio techniques - beacons, sensing and database lookups - would be used to determine the temporary availability of channels according to previously negotiated agreements. Motivation for the proposal seems to have been to gain earlier access to the new bands identified at WRC-07 for IMT cellular mobile networks. But the European Commission sees ASA as having broad relevance, providing opportunities for channel sharing with less risk than the "white space" device framework. So they adapted the idea as Licensed Shared Access (LSA) and will consult soon on a regionally harmonized set of conditions enabling LSA in the EU member states. If the market for UHF white spaces fails to develop in Europe, due to overly restrictive rules or too few countries authorizing WSDs, then ASA/LSA will be cognitive radio's best hope for early commercialization. Requirements and opportunities associated with ASA and LSA will be explored in this talk.

Bio
Robert Horvitz has been involved in various aspects of spectrum policy for 35 years and now directs the Open Spectrum Foundation in Amsterdam. He is a founding member of the Open Spectrum Alliance and recently co-authored a study for the European Commission on the socioeconomic value of "shared spectrum access".

A graduate of Yale, he has lived in Prague since 1991.