Well for the Internet of Things anyway…
Ever since attending a talk hypothesising the use of white space a year or so ago, I’ve been wondering who was going to nail it first, now it seems that a collaboration between Ofcom, Microsoft, Google and BT may see a platform launched that will allow mobile phones and tablets to use the space between frequencies without interfering.
For those wondering, white space is the stuff leftover between broadcasting frequencies, they’re generally left open as buffering gaps between transmissions. The complication around using it to date has been that the frequencies vary by region, in size and exist at varying parts of the spectrum, meaning there is no one white space frequency that can be used around the country.
However, Ofcom have created a database that informs devices on the ground which segments of spectrum are available for use in which vicinity, at what point in time, therefore allowing interconnectivity without interfering with the transmission of digital TV.
If this collaboration works, the use of white space will provide another resource of bandwidth that doesn’t rely on mobile networks, providing the potential to connect both mobile and fixed devices to the internet where Wi-Fi cannot reach, bringing the world of iEverything one step closer together…
…creating little bubbles of iMe and iYou.
Image found on http://www.sokolsky.com/
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