FCC Ok's White Space Devices

**Kardain** · 11-06-2008, 08:26 PM

Can't believe no one posted this yet....

http://www.dailytech.com/White+Space...ticle13364.htm

The Federal Communications Commission gave its unanimous approval (PDF) for white space Wi-Fi Tuesday, allowing manufacturers to build unlicensed wireless devices that make use of vacant DTV channels.

While the spectrum will effectively be a free-for-all, white space wireless devices will have to operate under a number of conditions, and will be subject to FCC certification. Devices wishing to use vacant channels of the DTV spectrum must have the ability to scan the spectrum for available frequencies, as well as the ability to geolocate itself and cross-link its location with an internet database of occupied channels.

This will be interesting to follow now that it is approved... hopefully there are devices that will be suitable for in-car use.

Hell, I'm just hoping I can finally get broadband where I live

**Sonicxtacy02** · 11-06-2008, 08:39 PM

what exactly does this mean ?

break it down crayola-style

**Kardain** · 11-06-2008, 09:06 PM

Crayola style... got it.

White space, in the sense of these devices, is defined as the space between current over-the-air TV signals. When the switch-over happens in the US in Feb, 2009 to digital signal rather than the current analog signals, there will be increased white space, which was the basis of the proposal... this would allow better "last-mile connectivity" for rural areas, as well as provide another competitor in the broadband market.

Full power analog television broadcasts, which operate between the 54 MHz and 806 MHz television frequencies (Channels 2-69), are slated to cease operating in February 2009 per a United States digital switchover mandate. At that time, full power TV stations will be required to switch to digital transmission and operate only between 54-698 MHz.

The advantage of this approval is TV signals travel a longer distance and able to penetrate walls better than 2.4/5.6 GHz signals and can carry more bandwidth than those 2 frequencies.

If a white space device is produced that will be adequate for in-car use, you would have internet access pretty much anywhere in range of a suitable broadcast tower... think of it as wi-fi on crack... however the device has to make sure that it will not impede on existing signals. By downloading a database, it will know (for example) 325 Mhz - 500 Mhz is used by local broadcasters, so it will not attempt to connect at those frequencies.

**codester3388** · 11-12-2008, 12:10 AM

Well won't people have to buy some very high gain antennas to be able to send the info to the tower. The internet is a two-way street so I don't know how somebody can request even a website. Will these signals use cell phone towers or the tv station towers?

I hope it is the first one or else it won't work very well.