MediaG3 (MDGC)

[Cassandra]

There seems to be some misunderstanding on this forum about the FCC's approval for "white spaces" to be used for services other than licensed broadband.

This appears to mean that the white spaces can be used for other types of wireless services, NOT that broadband Internet services can be provided without a broadband license. Here's a link to the blog from which you posted excerpts followed by the entire blog entry (with emphasis added).

http://news.cnet.com/8301-30686_3-20019003-266.html?part=cnn-cnet

White spaces

Hey Maggie,

I was considering the recent news of the FCC allowing wireless Internet broadcasts over unused television frequencies. Would these devices be called wireless broadband phones? Or, would they be called something different?

Thanks,

Enrique


Dear Enrique,

It's too early to say what types of devices or services will be built using the "white space" frequencies. So I am not sure what the devices will be called. But my guess is that there will likely be a whole range of devices and services that use the spectrum. "White spaces" are slivers of unused spectrum that sit between TV channels. The FCC recently authorized this spectrum to be used without a license for wireless broadband services.

Given that the frequencies that will be available for unlicensed use do not stretch across the entire U.S., it's unlikely that any company would use it exclusively to develop a nationwide voice or data service to compete with the major wireless players. But the spectrum could be used regionally to help existing service providers augment or offload traffic from their existing networks. Or it could be used for entirely new applications.

For example, in Wilmington, NC, the city tested technology that used white space spectrum to monitor traffic at intersections to regulate the traffic lights in order to reduce congestion, fuel consumption, travel time, support local law enforcement, and assist with hurricane and disaster evacuations.

It was also used to wirelessly connect cameras in city parks to police for surveillance. Radios are also set up in city parks to provide free Wi-Fi access to residents and city workers.

And finally, the city and county used the spectrum to remotely monitor and manage wetland areas to comply with EPA regulations. Because these areas are hard to get to, there is no fiber optic network that can be used to transmit data from sensors in the field. So people go out in boats and canoes to collect the data from the monitors. Now using the white space network, the data can be transmitted wirelessly.

These are just a few applications that have already been tested using white spectrum. And there are likely to be many more as device makers and service providers think of new ways to use the technology.

Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-30686_3-20019003-266.html?part=cnn-cnet#ixzz1256dzFTe