'White Space' Airwaves Opened for Future Cellular and Wi-Fi Enhancements
The radio waves travel in the spectrum between television channels known as white spaces, and like TV signals they carry far and penetrate walls. Uses may include wireless Internet connections, remote monitoring of industrial systems such as power plants, and taking over some mobile-phone traffic to ease sluggishness for users of devices such as Apple Inc.'s iPhone.
PC World takes a look at the potential for white space usage for Wi-Fi networks, calling the possibilities "Wi-Fi on steroids".Compared to standard wireless networks today that have a range of about a football field--assuming no obstacles are obstructing the signal, the white space networking is like Wi-Fi on steroids. Like television signals, the white space networks will have a range of several miles and can travel through walls.
Many observers are optimistic that the possibility for usage of the television frequencies without requiring FCC licenses will stimulate significant innovation in new technologies for wireless access. Several companies, including Microsoft and Google, have already embraced the new spectrum availability and are quickly pushing forward to deliver new options for wireless data access, beginning with test projects on their own campuses.Top Rated Comments
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What kind of antenna will you need to broadcast in those white spaces? Given that current TV antennae (xmit) are quite large ...
I'm going to buy some "rabbit ears" for my ipad!
Can you filter to only looks for open networks?
Yeah, I never understood this: you can receive radio broadcast signals anywhere you are, so why can't the same technology be used for WiFi and mobile phones? We're constantly struggling because of bad WiFi and mobile signals. Is it because portable devices would be unable to send such long distance signals back (uplink) due to their limited power, thus limited range? Because radios and TVs only receive data (downlink), but don't send anything back.
Yes, partially. Those devices are receive only, for one, and two, the bandwidth required is really small.
What kind of antenna will you need to broadcast in those white spaces? Given that current TV antennae (xmit) are quite large ...
I didn't confirm the calculation, but a quarter-length wavelength antenna for 54 MHz would be 52 inches long.
Yeah, I never understood this: you can receive radio broadcast signals anywhere you are, so why can't the same technology be used for WiFi and mobile phones? We're constantly struggling because of bad WiFi and mobile signals. Is it because portable devices would be unable to send such long distance signals back (uplink) due to their limited power, thus limited range? Because radios and TVs only receive data (downlink), but don't send anything back.
The white space is used as a buffer zone between broadcast frequencies to help reduce the chance of station A's signal interfering with station B's signal. Now that the white space is going to be 'populated' the buffer is gone so the chances of devices interfering with each other will be much higher. Interference is the number one concern of people that don't want the white space to disappear.Lethal
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