Wifi Revolution

Google (News - Alert) is stepping up its efforts to use white spaces, presenting results of an "initial phase of ongoing trials" investigating the white space technology it claims has shown that digital TV and wireless services can exist side-by-side without any interference.

 

This news comes in light of the FCC’s (News - Alert) recent commitment to making sure the white space spectrum will facilitate broadband competition. Earlier this year, a group of tech companies such as Dell, Google, Intel (News - Alert), Microsoft and HP delivered two WiFi devices to the FCC that it claimed operate in this spectrum without HD TV interference.

 

Nevertheless, the FCC's Office of Engineering and Technology determined via preliminary trials that the transmitter in the device is actually capable of causing interference. Two months ago, the FCC announced it would continue testing WiFi (News - Alert) for its ability to work effectively in white spaces.

 

Google is still moving forward, filing its own white space results with the FCC. Now it plans to bid for licensed spectrum in order to operate a wireless network—in addition to lobbying the FCC to open up unlicensed spectrum for the use of mobile Internet devices.

 

Television broadcasters and other companies have contested the efforts of the white spaces coalition, which includes Google, Microsoft Corp, Philips (News - Alert) Electronics NV, Intel Corp. and others, due to concerns that use of the white spaces will interfere with other signals such as those from televisions and microphones.

 

In a filing with the FCC Thursday, Google presented results of an "initial phase of ongoing trials" the company is conducting of white spaces technology, which it says "demonstrate that digital televisions... and wireless microphones can be amply protected."

 

White spaces coalition members Philips and Microsoft have also begun their own testing. Each company is employing different technology for the testing. If white spaces are approved, these companies might start selling products based on the technology by 2009. A decision from the FCC is expected later this month.

 

 

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