For the last two years, a coalition of high-tech companies and organizations called the Wireless Innovation Alliance has been pushing the Federal Communications Commission to allow access to white space, the portions of the broadcast spectrum set aside by the FCC to prevent interference amidst neighboring television signals.

WIA’s members include such computer-industry heavyweights as Google, Dell, Microsoft and Motorola, as well as such public-interest groups as the New America Foundation, the Public Interest Research Group, and Free Press. Google has been particularly active, hosting a public-relations campaign called Free the Airwaves that features videos and a petition currently signed by more than 18,000 humans.

There is a great deal of interest in the unused frequencies considering they are particularly well-suited for carrying notes signals by lengthy distances and through obstacles, including the walls of buildings. whether the technical issues can be resolved, WIA and other groups believe they hold tremendous potential for new consumer broadband applications.

Technically Feasible, But Complicated

WIA’s campaign got a boost Wednesday with the release of a report by the FCC’s Office of Engineering Technology (OET) which concluded that using low-powered digital devices on the frequencies amoung television channels is feasible, although some further evaluating is essential.

“We are satisfied,” the OET said, “that spectrum sensing in combination with geolocation and database-access techniques can be used to authorize equipment today under appropriate technical standards and that issues regarding future development and approval of any additional devices, including devices relying on sensing alone, can be addressed.”

As the OET suggests, any devices designed to use the white space would have to be equipped with a sensor to determine whether any neighboring frequencies are in use, so they can be avoided. In addition, by building in geolocation, a white-space device could query a database to find out whether there are any broadcasters operating…

[Source] dhiram