US set to approve next-generation wireless

White space frequencies get the OK from the regulators

White space spectrum to be opened up to broadband devices

The US might see its markets flooded with a new breed of wireless devices, as regulators have voted to open up a frequency range previously reserved for television broadcasters.

If approved, the new spectrum, known as white space, will allow for better connectivity than Wi-Fi hotspots currently do, enabling users to move from room to room without losing connectivity.

A vote in favour from the Federal Communications Commission on 23 September would set the final rules for the liberalisation of the spectrum. Technology companies including Google and Microsoft have lobbied for white space frequencies to be opened up, and last month Microsoft switched on a network at its headquarters in Redmond, Washington.

The UK government has been considering liberalising white space frequencies. Last November, communications regulator Ofcom published a discussion document to examine the pros and cons of opening up the spectrum. Devices that could use the spectrum were “at least three years away from commercial production”, it said.