TV White Space – Breakthrough Technology
TV White Space technology is revolutionizing traditional broadband.
While the United States and United Kingdom are the forerunners in developing this new technology, many other countries are following their lead, and TV White Space is on track for worldwide usage. For Canadian users, the UHF band includes spectrum available now for light licensed use. South Africa, Singapore, and New Zealand are not far behind in developing regulations and shaping the TV White Space landscape in their countries.
Ruralink Wireless along with partner ARK Multicasting is the leading contender in this emerging industry and will be using TV white-space technology to bring broadband where it’s never been before in rural communities throughout the USA.
What exactly is “TV White Space”?
TV White Space refers to the unused TV channels between the active ones in the VHF and UHF spectrum. These are typically referred to as the “buffer” channels. In the past, these buffers were placed between active TV channels to protect broadcasting interference. It has since been researched and proven that this unused spectrum can be used to provide broadband Internet access while operating harmoniously with surrounding TV channels.
In 2010, the FCC made this highly effective yet underutilized spectrum available for unlicensed public use. With the use of a database manager and a White Space radio, these channels can be used to access broadband Internet connectivity.
Better Coverage than Wi-Fi
While a traditional Wi-Fi router has a relatively limited range, around 100 meters under perfect conditions, and can be blocked by walls or other environmental barriers, TV White Space technology can cover an expanse of about 10 kilometers in diameter (100 times the distance)!
This breakthrough technology was nicknamed “Super Wi-Fi” because of its superior range and ability to penetrate obstacles such as trees, buildings and rough terrain.