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Yesterday the FCC convened to decide the future of so-called whitespace bandwidth. Referring to unused frequencies in the analog TV block, the FCC voted to approve the use of these frequencies which would blanket the US in freely-accessible bandwidth.
Billed by some as “WiFi 2.0″ or “WiFi on steroids,” access to the nation-wide bandwith would only require FCC certification of a compatible device. Just as WiFi revolutionized wireless communication by allowing anyone with a proper device to operate in the spectrum, proponents hope that white space frequencies will enjoy the same success.
Google co-founder and white space proponent Larry Page spoke of his excitement in a blog post:
I’ve always thought that there are a lot of really incredible things that engineers and entrepreneurs can do with this spectrum. We will soon have “Wi-Fi on steroids,” since these spectrum signals have much longer range than today’s Wi-Fi technology and broadband access can be spread using fewer base stations resulting in better coverage at lower cost. And it is wonderful that the FCC has adopted the same successful unlicensed model used for Wi-Fi, which has resulted in a projected 1 billion Wi-Fi chips being produced this year. Now that the FCC has set the rules, I’m sure that we’ll see similar growth in products to take advantage of this spectrum.
It is difficult to describe the magnitude of this event. For the first time, the US will finally have access to a communication spectrum not locked by a major telco or wireless carrier. Imagine the potential of a phone, computer or other MID configured to operate in this space; such a device could operate for free from one end of the country to the other.
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