Google Files Plans for "White-Space" Airwaves
March 24, 2008 6:26 PM | Google | Comments (0)
Today Google filed plans with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) outlining plans for low-power devices that use local wireless airwaves to access the "white space" between television channels. The plan is called "Wi-Fi 2.0 or Wi-Fi on steroids" by Google. However, U.S. broadcasters and makers of wireless microphones oppose the white-space fearing the devices would cause interference. The new generation devices could deliver data transmission speeds of billions of bits per second, which is much faster than the millions of bits per second available on most current broadband networks. This would allow wireless users to watch movies that are currently difficult on slower networks. |  |
Android is Google's open-source software that developers plan to use to build Internet-ready phones. Google will also benefit by having users having access to Google's online services, such as search and advertising.
Less than two weeks after Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft Corp, also urged the agency to free up the white-space spectrum so it could be used to expand access of wireless broadband. Google and Microsoft are part of a coalition lobbying the FCC to allow unlicensed use of white-space spectrum. The group also includes Hewlett-Packard Co, Dell, Intel and Philips Electronics USA.
