Unlicensed frequencies called “white space” make up the uncharted territory of the TV broadcast spectrum. The Federal Communications Commission (Federal Communications Commission), the agency that controls the television broadcast range, has announced that it will make white space accessible for the public to use without a license. The release of white space unlocks huge possibility of wireless networks. Some are calling the emerging technology “Wi-Fi on steroids. Dead zones might be a thing of the past with the advent of powerful wireless networks enabled by white space. Gadgets with capabilities no one has thought of yet will be made possible by Wi-Fi on anabolic steroids. Many believe white space will unleash economic opportunity worth billions to small start-up companies free of charge to use the unlicensed range.
Electronic digital TV sets white space totally free
“The Federal Communications Commission is expected to announce that white space could be made publicly available for use in mobile systems on Sept. 23. The NY Times reports that Wi-Fi on steroids can be enabled by the unused bands of the Television spectrum freed up by the conversion from analog to electronic digital. Digital broadcasts take up less space on the TV spectrum than analog, leaving more white space to go around. White space is coveted by wireless innovators because TV signals are low-frequency waves that travel farther, go via walls easier and deliver more reliable connections . Free of charge use of the unused TV broadcast spectrum is likely to start a new round of advancement like that of a quarter-century ago, when a similar move by the FCC eventually allowed people to wide open garage doors and change TV channels with the touch of a button.
Feasible conflicts with white space wireless
Reaction to the wireless potential of white space hasn’t been entirely good. PC World reports that broadcast television networks and companies using mobile microphones, for instance theaters and sports arenas, have opposed the liberation of white space. Powerful mobile systems with a broad reach could tread on their frequencies, they believe. However, to keep devices using the white space spectrum from interfering, the FCC has created a database of Television channels and mobile microphone usage. Future mobile devices could be set up to evade occupied frequencies on a local basis.
White space early adopters
Some entities already have the white space spectrum in play. The Register reports that Microsoft has installed a white space network on its campus in Redmond, Wash. Transmitting from just a pair of locations, the “white-fi” network, as Microsoft calls it, connects users on shuttle buses and in buildings anywhere on its 500-acre campus. As reported in the Times, Super Wi-Fi is getting used in New Hanover County. Public officials are testing white space for a variety of uses. Remote cameras connected via white space keep an eye on traffic patterns for the transportation department. The parks department saves on manpower costs. It uses white space to collect and share data the federal government from remote environmental areas . Industries unknown at the present can generate billions in the future with innovations in power distribution, medical technology and more.
Further reading
New York Times
nytimes.com/2010/09/13/technology/13wifi.html?pagewanted=1 and _r=1 and src=busln
PC World
pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/205332/fcc_paving_the_way_to_wifi_on_steroids.html?tk=hp_new
The Register
theregister.co.uk/2010/09/13/white_space/
