Report discusses whitespace radio

Produced by Cambridge Consultants, the report offers insight from experts from companies such as Google, Microsoft, Intel, Dell, Philips, Nokia and CSR.

The report, ’Whitespace: a revolution in wireless communications?’, looks at how TV band whitespace frequencies, recently authorised in the US by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), greatly increase the wireless bandwidth available to computers, set-top boxes, laptops, Wi-Fi hot spots and other radio devices that currently use the unlicensed bands at around 2.4 and 5GHz.

The consensus from the report is that wireless devices that take advantage of the increased range and wall-penetrating ability of the newly allotted band will soon emerge.

In addition, they may open up the market for disruptive new entrants - potentially allowing existing Wi-Fi hotspot providers - major coffee chains, for example - to offer paying customers free internet connection that is not estricted to their shop but extends across a wider area.

’The current, static method of dividing up spectrum is inefficient and increasingly unaffordable. Meanwhile, it should come as no surprise that the current wireless networks are creaking,’ said Luke D’Arcy, head of cognitive radio at Cambridge Consultants.