If At First You Don't Sell Your Patent Portfolio...

InterDigital failed to sell its patent portfolio, so it has started to looking to emerging wireless bands to boost its technology research.

I have talked at length about the opportunity in white space.

(a new keyword to watch)
 a system to extend Wi-Fi into new bands using a technology called Integrated Dynamic Spectrum Management (IDSM), which harvests vacant frequencies to increase the data throughput of WLans by identifying uncongested channels. (source RethinkWireless)

Although it was tapping into the interest in white spaces, IDSM can work across many contiguous and non-contiguous frequencies, licensed or unlicensed.

Just another reason why the ability to switch across frequencies seamlessly, and the patent for it, will be so valuable in the future.

Want to know what the next big investing trends will be? (one free chapter)


The tool that turned $10,000 into $2,800,000 in 2 years. HowToFindBigStocks.com

Finally White Spaces Get Turned On..Another Investing Wave To Watch

 It has been called "WiFi on steroids" and is definitely an investing wave to watch.

 I have been talking for years about this huge broadband opportunity for the US.

 White Spaces offers a "ton of bandwidth"

That is a highly desirable chunk of spectrum because the signals can easily pass through walls and other solid objects, giving them a much greater reach than WiFi or even WiMAX, both of which operate in higher frequency bands.

Microsoft said access to white spaces offers "a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to provide ubiquitous wireless broadband access to all Americans."
 
From GigaOm White Spaces Are A Go! 

With today’s approval of the first TV white spaces database and device, we are taking an important step towards enabling a new wave of wireless innovation.  Unleashing white spaces spectrum has the potential to exceed even the many billions of dollars in economic benefit from Wi-Fi, the last significant release of unlicensed spectrum, and drive private investment and job creation.

Microsoft calls "white spaces" the greatest improvement in Internet access since the advent of Wi-Fi."
 
Want to find stocks in upcoming investing trends? HowToFindBigStocks.com

The F.C.C. Approves "WiFi on Steroids", or "White Space"

Physical World Gets Connected

This blog was started to discuss what happens when a physical object is able to connect to the Internet, or "Physical World Connection". Today's ruling by the F.C.C. takes a long step in seeing that happen.

Imagine every car, street light, refrigerator, pool, office equipment, Coke can, golf ball, billboard etc having its own ip address and Internet connection. The possibilities and improvement in productivity are mind boggling.


It's been called "WiFi on steroids" and offers "a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to provide ubiquitous wireless broadband access to all Americans."

Microsoft calls "white spaces" the greatest improvement in Internet access since the advent of Wi-Fi."

White Spaces offers a "ton of bandwidth"

That is a highly desirable chunk of spectrum because the signals can easily pass through walls and other solid objects, giving them a much greater reach than WiFi or even WiMAX, both of which operate in higher frequency bands.

Vacant TV Airways Opened for $4B Wireless Market

Federal regulators cleared the way for technology companies to use vacant television channels for wireless data and Internet services that may be worth more than $4 billion a year.

I have been covering the white space industry for a while (read more)

In my opinion, this decision will create many companies/jobs and provide Internet access to the "Internet of Things". Sometimes called Physical World Connection or the "Internet of Things".



Longer Golf Drives Guaranteed GolfBallsGoFarther.com

Have a great idea? We Invest In Great Ideas

Airwaves....The Next "Land" Grab?

From Assoc. Press Mad Scramble For More Airwaves

As mobile phones become more sophisticated, they transmit and receive more data over the airwaves. But the spectrum of wireless frequencies is finite — and devices like the iPhone are allowed to use only so much of it. TV and radio broadcasts, Wi-Fi networks and other communications services also use the airwaves. Each transmits on certain frequencies to avoid interference with others.

Wait until the "physical world" gets connected.

Now wireless phone companies fear they're in danger of running out of room, leaving congested networks that frustrate users and slow innovation. So the wireless companies want the government to give them bigger slices of airwaves.

A ton of new "land" is available here



Have a great idea? We Invest In Great Ideas

White Space Provides The Future Of Wireless Revolution

It should come as no surprise to Pondering Primate readers how big the FCC's decision to approve Google Backed White Space Use will be.

It's been called "WiFi on steroids" and offers "a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to provide ubiquitous wireless broadband access to all Americans."

From M.I.T. Technology Review The Coming Wireless Revolution.

"The announcement that the FCC will allow white-space devices has a lot of people feeling like this is a beginning of a wireless revolution," says Anant Sahai, a professor of electrical engineering and computer science at the University of California, Berkeley.

radios that are smart enough to hop from one frequency to another, leaving occupied channels undisturbed--an approach known as cognitive radio

Dell may want to build broadband wireless Internet cards that are faster and have more range than existing ones do (already announced this initiative)

Google may simply want to push Internet coverage to increase the number of people who see Google ads (Google has estimated it will increase revenues by 20-30%)

Jake Ward from Wireless Innovation Alliance describes one white-space application as "mind blowing": sending high-definition television signals from one room to another within a house. "You have a TiVo, a DVD player, a cable box, and three high-definition TVs," he says. "Using a white-space device, you could beam those signals anywhere, to any TV."

More about the White Space potential

Google Says White Space Will Boost Their Online Ad Revenue By 20-30%

"Wi-Fi on steroids" is said to be worth billions to Google.
How much will it be worth to other white space players?

Could President Obama, Congress and and Google team up to deliver Wi-Fi on steroids?
The FCC just gave it a thumbs up.

From Investor's Business Daily U.S. Broadband Push Seen Gaining Steam

President-elect Obama writes on his website, "America should lead the world in broadband penetration and internet access". He calls for "providing true broadband to every community in America".

How can this be accomplished?

Microsoft said access to white spaces offers "a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to provide ubiquitous wireless broadband access to all Americans."

On Nov. 5, the FCC voted to open vacant broadcast spectrum for unlicensed use. The availability of these white spaces was applauded by Google co-founder Larry Page, who said in a statement: "In terms of how people use the Internet, how they communicate with each other, how rural areas will be able to have connectivity, this will be a tremendously important thing."

Page predicted the free use of white space will boost Internet use so much, his firm's online ad revenue will rise 20% to 30% a year..
(My rough estimates put that figure at roughly $4-7B in additional revenues)

Last week Google Chairman and CEO Eric Schmidt went to Chicago to serve as part of Obama's 17-person economic transition economic advisory board.(Schmidt said no to Obama's CTO position though).

Google's Larry Page defines White Space as "Wi-Fi on steroids"

Utilizing the unused TV "white spaces" for broadband access would be a tremendous opportunity to bring the Internet to more Americans -- including those in rural areas and first responders.

Because of the much longer range of these spectrum signals, wireless broadband access utilizing the TV white spaces could be brought to more consumers using fewer base stations -- in effect, "wi-fi on steriods".

Largest PC manufacturer is already betting on its adoption.


More ponderings on White Spaces

Dell Incorporates White Space Radios Into Laptops

Dell adopts "WiFi on steroids".

In short, access to white spaces offers "a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to provide ubiquitous wireless broadband access to all Americans."

I have pondered at great length about the enormous opportunity White Space represents

After the FCC approved the Google Backed White Space Use, the largest PC maker announces they will incorporate this technology.

From PC World Dell To Offer White Space Connectivity In Laptops

Dell will add a new wireless option to future laptops by installing radio chips that provide connectivity over the unused television spectrum known as white spaces. Proponents say the TV spectrum can carry broadband signals significantly farther than Wi-Fi, and that opening up the spectrum will help expand the market for new smartphone-like devices.

Today some 1 billion WiFi chips are shipped each year.

"We intend to integrate white-space radios into future Dell products," said Neeraj Srivastava, director of technology policy at Dell. The products could include laptops, netbooks, and any other devices that provide wireless network access. White spaces could solve a lot of the problems of the 2.4GHz spectrum and allow for higher-bandwidth applications such as streaming audio and video.

4 Reasons why you should care about White Space.
(Hint: one of them is the fastest WiFi ever)

How will this new spectrum affect WiFI players, telcos and cable cos?

Also this week Intel announced they were scrapping their ultrawideband efforts.

More white space ponderings

FCC Approves Google Backed White Space Use

The "Internet of Things", or "Physical World Connection" is becoming a reality.

When everyone and everything has access to broadband, the Internet will deliver numerous applications, companies and revenue opportunities.

Everything from thermostats, smart meters, digital cameras, sprinkler systems, airplanes to mobile phones and laptops will soon have broadband access capabilities.

Internet For Everyone and soon everything. Cheap broadband wireless services will soon be available to all.

Google calls it "Wi-Fi on steroids". Today some 1 billion Wi-Fi chips are shipped each year. "

Now that the FCC has set the rules, I'm sure that we'll see similar growth in products to take advantage of this spectrum," Google's Larry Page wrote.

Microsoft calls "white spaces" the greatest improvement in Internet access since the advent of Wi-Fi."

White Spaces offers a "ton of bandwidth"

From Yahoo FCC Approves Google-Backed Plan For Airwaves Use

The five-member FCC voted to open unlicensed pockets of the spectrum known as white space that will become available when U.S. broadcasters are required to move to digital television next year.

Companies like Google and Microsoft, as well as consumer groups, said access to the white space airwaves would encourage innovation in cellular telephones and wireless devices, much as WiFi did.

"Let's hope it's not just Wi-Fi on steroids but Wi-Fi on amphetamines," FCC Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein said.

While a lot of companies make white space radios (modems), the white space rules mandate that unlicensed users of this spectrum also be able to sense licensed users and not interfere with them (that was a key argument for opposition). That means companies that make white space radios will need more than just radio expertise: they will need sensing expertise.

According to Josh Silver, (Free Press) white spaces adoption would champion four core principles:

-- Access (fat pipes in every home),
-- choice (real competition between providers),
-- openness (this appears to be a code word for some flavor of 'Net neutrality),
-- innovation (job creation and economic growth).


More white space ponderings.



Our company uncovered a small company with modulation techniques (and over $200m in VC funding from Cisco, SBC Communications, US Venture Partners, ComVentures along with $100m from US Govt) that is positioning themselves to be the "Qualcomm of 700MHz and White Space" (modulating standard).

This Silicon Valley player is already receiving white space radio orders.

The report is titled "White Space Represents A White Hot Opportunity"

FCC Commissioner Says White Space Will Win Approval

White spaces, or as Google's Larry Page calls it,"Wi-Fi on steroids" is close to reality.

A top federal regulator said on Wednesday he is optimistic communications officials will approve a plan, backed by Microsoft (MSFT) and Google, (GOOG) to open soon-to-be vacant television airwaves.

From Investor's Business Daily FCC Commissioner Says White Space Use Will Win Approval

The FCC, made up of three Republicans and two Democrats, is due to vote (Nov 4) on the white spaces proposal drawn up by Republican commission Chairman Kevin Martin.

there is great potential for a new wave of innovative and faster devices to be developed by the private sector with the new spectrum.

I have pondered at great length about the enormous opportunity White Space represents.

One Silicon Valley player is already receiving white space radio orders.

More White Space ponderings.

Visionary Innovations uncovered a small company with modulation techniques (and over $200m in VC funding from Cisco, SBC Communications, US Venture Partners, ComVentures along with $100m from US Govt) that is positioning themselves to be the "Qualcomm of 700MHz and White Space" (modulating standard).

The report is titled "White Space Represents A White Hot Opportunity"

White Spaces, Or Wi-Fi On Steroids Almost Here?

From Washington Post:

FCC Chair Wants To Go Forward With Use OF White Spaces

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin said he wants to allow portable devices to use the airwaves between TV channels for wireless broadband service (White Spaces)

After months of testing and over a year of lobbying by tech firms Google, Microsoft, HP, Dell and others, the FCC's engineering office is releasing a report today that spells out the standards devices must meet in order to use the empty airwaves.

Martin said he is circulating the report with other commissioners and hopes to vote on the item at the FCC's Nov. 4 meeting.

He said the portable devices must have sensing technologies as well as a geo-location database. This would make sure the devices would be able to detect nearby broadcasts in order to avoid those frequencies.

Google's Larry Page said:

Utilizing the unused TV "white spaces" for broadband access would be a tremendous opportunity to bring the Internet to more Americans -- including those in rural areas and first responders.

Because of the much longer range of these spectrum signals, wireless broadband access utilizing the TV white spaces could be brought to more consumers using fewer base stations -- in effect, "wi-fi on steriods"

For more pondering about white spaces

White Space Offers A Tremendous Opportunity

Google calls the spectrum Wi-Fi on steroids, saying it could provide cheap broadband wireless services to underserved rural areas and enhance public safety communications.

According to a Microsoft statement, use of white space spectrum "could enable many technological advances and bring consumer benefits, including the greatest improvement in Internet access since the advent of Wi-Fi."

In short, access to white spaces offers "a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to provide ubiquitous wireless broadband access to all Americans."

From Investor's Business Daily The White Space Lobbying Race Pits Internet Vs Telecom Firms

A coalition of tech companies is promising a new generation of wireless offerings and faster, cheaper Internet services if the government frees up chunks of radio-wave spectrum being abandoned in the transition to digital TV.

After nearly a year of research, the FCC is set to define how wireless networks and devices can tap into the spectrum without messing with TV signals and other communication systems that use nearby frequencies.

The spectrum has been largely unused for decades; it's the static that appears when clicking from channels 2 through 52 on old-fashioned over-the-air TV sets.

"Opening up unused TV spectrum might be one of our best remaining chances to address the digital divide by creating affordable and truly universal broadband wireless coverage in the U.S.," A Google petition states.

One Silicon Valley Player is already receiving White Space radio orders.

More about how White Space represents a White Hot Opportunity

Ponderings about White Space

Internet For Everyone Gets Support

The Internet For Everyone, a new initiative aimed at making broadband a priority in the U.S., got a big push yesterday.

"People have just accepted that bandwidth is something that American families will spend hundreds of dollars on per month. People don't realize how much we pay for how little bandwidth we actually get."

"Spectrum liberation in our time needs to be a priority for any national broadband policy," Wu said.

"And the 'white space' spectrum is a good way to do that. It offers a ton of bandwidth."

--Columbia University professor Tim Wu

Internet For Everyone Bridges Digital Divide

Josh Silver, executive director of Free Press, introduced the initiative, saying it was "outrageous" that "the country that invented the Internet" ranked 15th in broadband penetration at last count.
"Closing the broadband digital divide," said Silver, "must be a national priority."

According to Silver, the campaign would not support or oppose specific legislation, but instead would champion four core principles:

-- Access (fat pipes in every home),
-- choice (real competition between providers),
-- openness (this appears to be a code word for some flavor of 'Net neutrality),
-- innovation (job creation and economic growth).

Federal Communications Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein, who declared himself a "frustrated policymaker," said it was clear that "what we're doing in Washington today isn't working."

Google announces the Internet For Everyone Campaign

Today Google joined a national initiative of public interest, civic and industry groups to help launch the Internet for Everyone campaign, whose goal is to make ubiquitous and open broadband access for every American a priority in the next administration.

Why is Google involved? Making the Internet accessible to more Americans is part of our corporate DNA. It's what has motivated our work on municipal wi-fi, in the 700 MHz spectrum auction, our investment in Clearwire and development of Android, and most recently our advocacy in support of opening up the unused portions of the tv spectrum band (White Space) for use by Internet devices.

Google's Larry Page:

Utilizing the unused TV "white spaces" for broadband access would be a tremendous opportunity to bring the Internet to more Americans -- including those in rural areas and first responders.
Because of the much longer range of these spectrum signals, wireless broadband access utilizing the TV white spaces could be brought to more consumers using fewer base stations -- in effect, "wi-fi on steriods".

He said he is "100 percent confident" that the white spaces will be used for Internet access -- it's just a question of when.

The FCC is currently looking at freeing up more spectrum that could be used by new entrants to create new wireless broadband services.

The FCC is eyeing a proposal to free up a 20 MHz wireless spectrum to be used for free wireless services; supporting such efforts is key to supporting a national broadband policy. The commission put out a request for comments on the proposal last week.

Broadband A National Priority
There are still pockets of the U.S., especially in rural areas, where broadband is only offered by one provider or by none at all. And prices per bit are still much higher than they are in other parts of the world.

Broadband proponents see "white spaces" as an important asset to be used in expanding the broadband market.

More white space ponderings.

GE Healthcare Approves White Space Solution..One Step Closer To Ubiquitous Broadband

White Space gets a big nod of approval from GE.

A fear and obstacle for White Space is that White Space networking could disrupt hospital telemetry systems.

Initially medical equipment manufacturers like GE Healthcare said that the Microsoft and Google backed white space networking initiative could potentially "directly interfere" and "prevent patient monitoring."

GE Healthcare Approves White Space Solution

General Electric’s Healthcare division has told the FCC that it is now satisfied with a technical solution to protect wireless medical telemetry services when using unlicensed white spaces in digital spectrum.

In a letter to the FCC, GE Healthcare said that channel-protection technology it proposed for healthcare devices “was sufficient … to protect licensed wireless medical telemetry service” on channel 37 from “proposed portable white-spaces devices” that would seek out adjacent channels to use.

Here's a conundrum, NBC, owned by GE and a member of the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) is in a battle with computer companies over the use of unlicensed portable mobile devices in so-called white spaces between digital-TV channels.

Consumers Want Broadband Over HDTV

This should give Google's White Space Initiative even more weight.

White Space offers "a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to provide ubiquitous wireless broadband access to all Americans".

From ArsTechnica

Broadband services and speeds are ranked higher than any other "new" service when it comes to their importance to consumers.

New survey results from Pike & Fischer Broadband Advisory Services show that while HDTV and digital phone service were important to some consumers, high-speed data came out ahead of the rest.

-almost 40 percent of Pike & Fischer's survey respondents gave high-speed data the highest rating. Comparatively, only about 25 percent ranked HDTV as high, and digital phone service was at the bottom of the list, with under 10 percent ranking it a five.

A recent report by Akamai pointed out that countries like South Korea, Japan, and Hong Kong all have relatively high percentages of broadband connections over 5Mbps (64, 48, and 35 percent, respectively), while only 20 percent of US connections fall into that category.

When it comes to just "fast" connectivity (over 2Mbps), the US ranked at number 24 in the list—South Korea once again came out on top, followed by Belgium and Switzerland.

The average download speed in the US was a mere 1.9Mbps.

Pike & Fischer points out the fairly obvious (to us geeks, anyway): without high broadband speeds, millions of other features being offered to us by cable companies and telcos will have a harder time getting off the ground.

Microsoft Fails Again With White Space Tech Device

A device submitted by Microsoft for US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) testing of wireless 'white spaces' technology has stopped working and been taken out of the process.

The wireless prototype, which was not made by Microsoft, unexpectedly stopped working on Wednesday, Microsoft said on Friday. In February, the FCC took another Microsoft-submitted device out of testing because it had power problems.

Microsoft said the problems that took the two devices out of testing were unrelated to interference and that the units were experimental, not production devices.

White Space Coalition Submits Superfast Wireless Broadband Device

From Ars Technica Superfast Wireless Broadband Device Prototype Submitted to FCC

The White Space Coalition is comprised of Dell, EarthLink, Google, HP, Intel, Microsoft, and Philips Electronics, submitted a second prototype white space wireless broadband device to the FCC for testing.

The goal of the White Space Coalition is simple: take advantage of unused television spectrum to provide wireless broadband. Although analog television transmissions will cease in February 2009, digital TV signals will continue to use the spectrum between 2MHz and 698MHz.

They want to bring high-speed Internet access to consumers...over television airwaves. Idle TV channels, knows as "white space" can be used to deliver Internet into homes and offices.

That is a highly desirable chunk of spectrum because the signals can easily pass through walls and other solid objects, giving them a much greater reach than WiFi or even WiMAX, both of which operate in higher frequency bands.

White space devices could use the so-called white space in the current analog television spectrum (2MHz to 698MHz) to deliver wireless broadband service.

Former FCC chief engineer Edmond Thomas (and current technology policy advisor for the law firm of Harris, Wiltshire & Grannis, which is representing the Coalition) told Ars that he believes white space broadband could deliver download speeds of up to 80Mbps, which would make it extremely competitive with fiber-to-the-premises solutions like Verizon's FiOS networks.

It's proof-of-concept hardware intended to demonstrate that it's possible to sense the presence of TV signals and transmit wireless IP data in a way that does not interfere with TV.