BT, Sky, BBC, MSFT in 'White Space' WiFi Trial

A new venture by Microsoft, BT and Sky will see the launch of a trial that utilizes so-called 'white space' spectrum to provide wireless access.

A new trial scheduled to begin on Wednesday in Cambridge will explore how unused TV spectrum, often referred to as 'white spaces,' could provide an inexpensive fix to the escalating wireless connectivity requirements of UK consumers and businesses, especially in rural areas where current solutions are falling short.

Data consumption has grown exponentially in the last couple of years and, according to the newly-formed Cambridge TV White Spaces Consortium, the market for mobile bandwidth that serves phones, laptops, tablets and other smart devices is expected to increase 92 percent in the next four years alone. To that end, this trial investigating the potential of unused broadcast spectrum could aid in the development of a new kind of 'super WiFi' that will help shoulder the extra weight of the increasing demand.

"With the number of connected devices and data applications growing rapidly, and with mobile networks feeling the strain, we must find ways of satisfying the traffic demands of today and tomorrow," the Consortium said via news release. "This trial will attempt to demonstrate that unused TV spectrum is well-placed to increase the UK's available mobile bandwidth, which is critical to effectively responding to the exponential growth in data-intensive services, while also enabling future innovation." 

The trial will assess the potential of TV white spaces' ability to deliver cost-efficient broadband access to rural communities and though Cambridge, the trial town, has good broadband access, neighbouring villages suffer poor broadband service. Cambridge also boasts has a wide variety of buildings, including historic stone structures, which the consortium says offer "a unique opportunity to demonstrate the penetration of TV white spaces signals when compared with other higher frequency networks such as Wi-Fi."