Illuminate the Wireless Magic - RCA 2010 Recap

Last week, we attended the Rural Cellular Association’s Annual Convention in Las Vegas to showcase TV White Spaces and its potential for mobile applications. Among the many questions we received regarding our deployed experimental networks and TV White Spaces, one question was clearly on everyone’s mind:

“How will the availability of TV White Spaces change the marketplace?”
As the wireless marketplace continues to grow and evolve from traditional voice services to a complex ecosystem supporting Smartphones and an array of mobile applications, carriers are beginning to realize that innovation is necessary to meet the growing demands for bandwidth. Network expansion is key to the success of these companies. However, with a finite amount of spectrum available, and an exponential demand for bandwidth, carriers are left with very few cost-effective options.

The National Broadband Plan addresses this dilemma of spectrum availability and has made several propositions to ensure that the wireless marketplace can support this demand. In Section 5.12 of the NBP, the FCC references TV White Spaces stating that: “The FCC should move expeditiously to conclude the TV White Spaces proceeding.” The availability of TV White Spaces will provide a cost-effective alternative; giving carriers, private enterprises, utilities, and others the opportunity to expand or deploy networks to fulfill this growing demand.

Favorable propagation characteristics and low cost of deployment makes TV White Spaces a great solution for a multitude of applications such as rural broadband, telemetry, SCADA, Smart City and Smart Grid solutions. While the FCC continues to finalize the rules for TV White Spaces and deliberate on who will be named TV White Space Database Providers, it is important to realize that early adopters of this innovative technology will be able to capitalize on the vast market opportunities that lie ahead. Follow our success with our initial TV White Spaces network deployments in Claudville, VA and Wilmington/New Hanover County, NC. To learn more about TV White Spaces, read our FAQ doc.

- Sheri Ridenour, Senior Account Manager