White Space For Broadband

[ravi_patent 28]

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/ew/2010/02/01/stories/2010020150100300.htm

On October 22, 2009, high-level executives from Microsoft Corporation met officials of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, including the Chairman, J S Sarma, to demonstrate how vacant spectrum can be used to provide broadband services at a fraction of the cost incurred by existing players.

Researchers at Redmond have been working on this technology for more than two years and believe that it has the potential to be a game changer. They call this technology White-Fi. It allows any service provider to utilise unused spectrum at any given time in an area dynamically, without causing interference to existing players.

Paul Mitchell, General Manager, Policy and Standards, Entertainment and Devices, Microsoft Corp, says, “There are empty fragments scattered between used spectrum, which we call ‘White Space'. This space can be utilised for offering long-range, low-cost wireless broadband without causing interference to existing users. While this can be done over any frequency band, the most efficient band is the one currently being used for TV broadcasting.”

According to analysts, only a small percentage of the existing air waves is being utilised currently. Yet operators face a severe crunch in spectrum due to a legacy of inefficient allocation and utilisation. Microsoft has developed a platform that will dynamically scan the air waves and transmit data using the white space in spectrum. Though this is similar to a Wi-Fi network, proponents of White-Fi claim that their technology offers a much wider range and higher throughput.

“White-Fi is much more powerful than existing Wi-Fi networks and much more cost-effective than other broadband technologies such as WiMax. If a Wi-Fi network can transmit data through 200 feet, White-Fi can take it over 2 km,” says Mitchell.

One other advantage with this technology is that since it uses vacant spectrum, operators need not take a licence to offer services - just like Wi-Fi operators. “While telecom operators have to pay upwards of Rs 1,000 crore for a Wimax or a 3G spectrum, White-Fi operates on unlicensed air waves which cuts down the operator's cost and thereby enables cheaper broadband access. This could be a good solution for India's rural penetration,” says a market watcher.

Microsoft, along with other large technology giants including Google, HP, Philips and Dell, is backing this new idea globally to convince regulators that the white spaces should be opened up for the use of unlicensed applications.

In fact the US regulator, FCC, ruled last November that companies could build devices that transmit over White Spaces but also gave strict requirements that this should not interfere with existing broadcasts, both from TV stations and from other wireless devices that operate within the same spectrum. Google, in its submission to the FCC, asked the Commission to designate Google as one of potentially several administrators of a white spaces geolocation database.

“It is required that such a database be deployed before consumer electronics companies could start selling PCs, smart phones, e-book readers or other devices that use this spectrum. Before sending or receiving data, these devices will be required to connect to the database to determine what frequencies can and can't be used in a particular location. Licensed television and wireless microphone signals will be fully protected from harmful interference,” states Google's Policy blog.

Back in India, Microsoft has given a demonstration to the Indian regulator, given that TRAI is looking at refarming spectrum from analog TV broadcasting. But unlike the US, where there are a number of broadcasters offering analog TV, in India there is only the State owned Doordarshan using radio waves for terrestrial broadcasting. Therefore the chances of any interference between analog TV and operators deploying White-Fi based broadband will be minimal.

If TRAI permits the use of white space in the 700 Mhz band then users will be able to seamlessly access Internet services on their devices.

“Just like you have the option of choosing between Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, White-Fi will become another option on your devices but one which offers much wider coverage and efficient usage of spectrum,” says Deepak Maheshwari, Director, Corporate Affairs, Microsoft India.

[::Hitesh:: 1,763]

^^^

Looks good, but also i smells monopoly business here.

[Greatest 55]

^^^ correct Hiteshbhai...