IEEE agrees 802.22 standard for white space broadband

The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) has published its 802.22 standard for white space technology, with the aim of bringing high-speed broadband to under-served communities.

White-space technology, or wireless regional area networks (WRAN), utilises the unused parts of TV spectrum, which are increasingly available owing to the ongoing switchover to digital TV.

The 802.22 standard will support both very-high frequency (VHF) and ultra-high frequency (UHF) TV bands, which the IEEE suggests will allow broadband wireless access in locations up to 100km from a transmitter.

"Each WRAN will deliver up to 22Mbit/s per channel without interfering with reception of existing TV broadcast stations, using the so-called white spaces between the occupied TV channels," said the IEEE.

"The technology is especially useful for serving less densely populated areas, such as rural areas, and developing countries where there are many vacant TV channels."

In June it was revealed that Microsoft is heading up a consortium of technology and media companies, including BBC, BT, BSkyB and Nokia, that is running a trial in Cambridge to identify how white space technology can be used to support wireless connectivity requirements in towns, cities and rural areas.

"The 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 consortium said in a statement.