White Space Internet uses a part of the radio spectrum known as
white spaces. The frequency range is created when there are gaps between the
coverage areas of
television channels
A television channel is a terrestrial frequency or virtual number over which a television station or television network is distributed. For example, in North America, "channel 2" refers to the terrestrial or cable band of 54 to 60 MHz, with ...
. The spaces can provide broadband internet access that is similar to that of
4G mobile.
Wilmington, North Carolina
In a 2012 test of the technology, the city of
Wilmington, North Carolina
Wilmington is a port city in and the county seat of New Hanover County in coastal southeastern North Carolina, United States.
With a population of 115,451 at the 2020 census, it is the eighth most populous city in the state. Wilmington is t ...
implemented technology utilizing the white space systems "to connect the city's infrastructure, allowing public officials to remotely turn lights on and off in parks, provide public wireless broadband to certain areas of the city, and monitor water levels."
The initial tests of this internet showed that white space signals travel further and with less interference than
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi () is a family of wireless network protocols, based on the IEEE 802.11 family of standards, which are commonly used for local area networking of devices and Internet access, allowing nearby digital devices to exchange data by radio wav ...
and
Bluetooth
Bluetooth is a short-range wireless technology standard that is used for exchanging data between fixed and mobile devices over short distances and building personal area networks (PANs). In the most widely used mode, transmission power is limi ...
. White space can help to alleviate some of the problems that are occurring with networks being over crowded. In 2013 the system was still in use.
Carlson Wireless Technologies
Carlson Wireless Technologies users are utilizing white space in order to access broadband internet. Carlson Wireless Technologies has been able to conduct research that has proven white space internet to cover around 10 kilometers in diameter, which covers 100 times further than WI-Fi.
Also, white space is considered
non-line-of-sight
Non-line-of-sight (NLOS) radio propagation occurs outside of the typical Line-of-sight propagation, line-of-sight (LOS) between the transmitter and receiver, such as in ground reflections.
Near-line-of-sight (also NLOS) conditions refer to partia ...
(NLOS). It differs from microwave links that need line-of-sight. The white space works with the lower-frequency UHF signals in order to connect between devices. NLOS allows white space to cover areas that have obstacles with limited issue.
Wireless Reach
White space technology has been suggested for several countries. Microsoft has
white space databases, and is advancing white space technology to Jamaica, Namibia, Philippines, Tanzania, Taiwan, Colombia, United Kingdom, and the United States. Also, Google has decided to push white space technology to Cape Town, South Africa.
An argument against white space Internet is that it uses a radio frequency range commonly used for television, and is not
Super Wi-Fi.
See also
*
White spaces (database)
*
White spaces (radio)
In telecommunications, white spaces refer to radio frequencies allocated to a broadcasting service but not used locally. National and international bodies assign frequencies for specific uses and, in most cases, license the rights to broadcast ...
References
{{reflist
External links
* https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/project/dynamic-spectrum-and-tv-white-spaces/
* https://www.microsoft.com/africa/4afrika/tv-white-spaces.aspx
* https://www.microsoft.com/empowering-countries/en-us/decent-work-and-economic-growth/tv-white-space/
Wireless networking