greeny
09-23-2007, 01:00 AM
Vito Pilieci
CanWest News Service
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
OTTAWA -- A group of high-powered technology companies in the United States are working to take the old analogue TV broadcast system and turn it into a nationwide high-speed wireless Internet network.
The coalition have already created a device that takes a portion of the old rabbit-ear TV transmission system and broadcasts high-speed Internet signals to Americans all over the country.
The best part? While their plans may be focused on the U.S. right now, the technology could be deployed in Canada.
"As a technical matter, absolutely" said Scott Blake Harris, a spokesman for the group behind the technology Tuesday. "As a regulatory matter, it all depends on your regulations."
Blake Harris said his group, called the White Space Coalition, is focused on getting its technology approved for use by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the U.S. right now. It hopes to begin selling the new technology as soon as the U.S. turns off its old analogue TV system in favour of new high definition signals in 2009.
Canada isn't scheduled to kill its analogue TV system until 2011.
The group is made up of some of the most recognizable names in the world of technology. Microsoft Corp., Google Inc., Dell Computer Inc., the Hewlett Packard Co. and Phillips Electronics North America Corp.
Once the U.S. moves over to high-definition broadcasting, some of the old UHF TV channels will be returned to broadcasters so they can send out their TV broadcasts in new high definition signals.
However, there will be channels that broadcasters will not use for technical reasons. These channels are called "white space."
The White Space Coalition proposes to utilize the unused channels to transmit high-speed Internet signals.
The signals would be able to reach anyone who can receive TV signals with rabbit ears.
Reports suggest that download speeds, using the group's wireless technology, could top 80 megabits per second -- around eight times faster than most of the high-speed Internet accounts that people have coming into their homes today.
"What's at stake here is simple: the promise of greater broadband access for millions of Americans including those in under served rural areas," Harris said in a release. "The promise that this spectrum holds for bringing broadband to more Americans is too great to ignore."
The group has already submitted prototypes of its technology to the FCC. The FCC has expressed concerns that the new technology may interfere with TV broadcasts on nearby channels. There have also been concerns about possible interference with cordless phones.
The concerns have been enough to send the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) in the United States into a tizzy. The group announced Tuesday that it would immediately launch a TV and print ad campaign condemning the White Space technology.
Alan Frank, chairman of the Television Board, has kicked off the NAB's campaign by claiming the devices would cause TVs to crash like a troubled computer system.
"While our friends at Intel, Google and Microsoft may find system errors, computer glitches and dropped calls tolerable, broadcasters do not," said Frank in a press release. "Consumers know that computers unexpectedly shut down. TVs don't. TVs work and people expect them to work."
While the broadcasters use the interference issue as ammunition and claim they are fighting to protect people's TV signals, they are really fighting just to remain relevant.
With the emergence of IPTV services, capable of bringing high-definition TV into a person's home over their Internet connection, voice-over-Internet-protocol (VoIP) telephone services that make long distance rates a thing of the past and commercial free Internet radio all available over a person's Internet connection the White Spaces initiative may be the equivalent of a new broadcasting system masquerading as an Internet connection.
While the broadcasters have everything to lose -- in the form of Internet, TV and phone subscribers -- those behind the White Space initiative have everything to gain.
Google is always looking for new ways to increase the number of people using its search engine. Microsoft gets to sell more software, Dell and HP get to sell more computers and Phillips will sell more TVs and other electronics.
Harris said the White Spaces Coalition is working with the FCC to address the interference issues. He said he expects a decision about the technology to be released by the FCC this fall.
The goal is to work the technology into laptops, TVs and other electronic devices in a similar fashion as manufacturers do with Wi-Fi or Bluetooth technology today.
CanWest News Service
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
OTTAWA -- A group of high-powered technology companies in the United States are working to take the old analogue TV broadcast system and turn it into a nationwide high-speed wireless Internet network.
The coalition have already created a device that takes a portion of the old rabbit-ear TV transmission system and broadcasts high-speed Internet signals to Americans all over the country.
The best part? While their plans may be focused on the U.S. right now, the technology could be deployed in Canada.
"As a technical matter, absolutely" said Scott Blake Harris, a spokesman for the group behind the technology Tuesday. "As a regulatory matter, it all depends on your regulations."
Blake Harris said his group, called the White Space Coalition, is focused on getting its technology approved for use by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the U.S. right now. It hopes to begin selling the new technology as soon as the U.S. turns off its old analogue TV system in favour of new high definition signals in 2009.
Canada isn't scheduled to kill its analogue TV system until 2011.
The group is made up of some of the most recognizable names in the world of technology. Microsoft Corp., Google Inc., Dell Computer Inc., the Hewlett Packard Co. and Phillips Electronics North America Corp.
Once the U.S. moves over to high-definition broadcasting, some of the old UHF TV channels will be returned to broadcasters so they can send out their TV broadcasts in new high definition signals.
However, there will be channels that broadcasters will not use for technical reasons. These channels are called "white space."
The White Space Coalition proposes to utilize the unused channels to transmit high-speed Internet signals.
The signals would be able to reach anyone who can receive TV signals with rabbit ears.
Reports suggest that download speeds, using the group's wireless technology, could top 80 megabits per second -- around eight times faster than most of the high-speed Internet accounts that people have coming into their homes today.
"What's at stake here is simple: the promise of greater broadband access for millions of Americans including those in under served rural areas," Harris said in a release. "The promise that this spectrum holds for bringing broadband to more Americans is too great to ignore."
The group has already submitted prototypes of its technology to the FCC. The FCC has expressed concerns that the new technology may interfere with TV broadcasts on nearby channels. There have also been concerns about possible interference with cordless phones.
The concerns have been enough to send the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) in the United States into a tizzy. The group announced Tuesday that it would immediately launch a TV and print ad campaign condemning the White Space technology.
Alan Frank, chairman of the Television Board, has kicked off the NAB's campaign by claiming the devices would cause TVs to crash like a troubled computer system.
"While our friends at Intel, Google and Microsoft may find system errors, computer glitches and dropped calls tolerable, broadcasters do not," said Frank in a press release. "Consumers know that computers unexpectedly shut down. TVs don't. TVs work and people expect them to work."
While the broadcasters use the interference issue as ammunition and claim they are fighting to protect people's TV signals, they are really fighting just to remain relevant.
With the emergence of IPTV services, capable of bringing high-definition TV into a person's home over their Internet connection, voice-over-Internet-protocol (VoIP) telephone services that make long distance rates a thing of the past and commercial free Internet radio all available over a person's Internet connection the White Spaces initiative may be the equivalent of a new broadcasting system masquerading as an Internet connection.
While the broadcasters have everything to lose -- in the form of Internet, TV and phone subscribers -- those behind the White Space initiative have everything to gain.
Google is always looking for new ways to increase the number of people using its search engine. Microsoft gets to sell more software, Dell and HP get to sell more computers and Phillips will sell more TVs and other electronics.
Harris said the White Spaces Coalition is working with the FCC to address the interference issues. He said he expects a decision about the technology to be released by the FCC this fall.
The goal is to work the technology into laptops, TVs and other electronic devices in a similar fashion as manufacturers do with Wi-Fi or Bluetooth technology today.