Hasta La Gadget!

One of the biggest hold-ups in the global deployment of LTE and long-range WiFi is a lack of available spectrum. Even when a particular frequency is free and usable for mobile broadband, it’s often officially reserved for some other purpose. Google’s charitable wing, Google.org, has long claimed that as much as 6 MHz of white space kept aside for TV channels in the US is actually untapped, and now it’s going to get a chance to prove the point. The FCC has just granted it a 45-day window in which to run a trial public database (linked below) to keep track of exactly which bits of spectrum are free in which parts of the country.

If all goes well, Google should find itself among up to ten other organizations that are allowed to supervise spectrum sharing — in other words, allowing mobile devices to temporarily exploit available TV spectrum that isn’t being used by the primary holder. Google’s ultimate aim, we’re told, is simply to “improve connectivity” at a global level. As to whether the other nine names on the FCC’s list — like Microsoft and Ericsson-owned Telcordia — are equally altruistic, we have absolutely no idea.

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, Google

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Via: The Next Web

Source: Google.org Official Blog, Google.org’s Spectrum Database

The European Commission is well aware that we need spectrum. Rather than make everyone fight for their piece, though, the agency wants us to hug it out. It’s proposing a spectrum change that would bring in “much more dynamic sharing” of both licensed and unlicensed radio frequencies. While nothing’s definite at this point, the EC’s Digital Agenda representative Ryan Heath mentions that the move could give more capacity to WiFi in the unlicensed 5GHz space — no doubt a relief for anyone who’s dealt with an overwhelmed public hotspot. That’s not to say that carriers won’t benefit. Officials want to provide perks by offering “guaranteed rights” to providers and anyone else that has to share licensed airwaves with others. The sharing initiative is a long distance away from having an impact given that the Commission is calling for help from the European Council and Parliament just to get started, but it could be an important step towards harmony in a land where unoccupied airwaves are rare.

Filed under: Wireless, Networking

European Commission pushes for spectrum sharing, sees 5GHz WiFi getting a lift originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Sep 2012 04:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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