Ofcom gives white space the green light

Regulator won't insist on licences for white space wireless devices

White space-based devices have received a major boost after the UK’s communication regulator Ofcom said it does not intend to license the wireless technology.

White space devices make use of unused parts of spectrum allocated for television broadcasts. The frequencies involved make it suitable for sending signals over long distances and through walls.

Ofcom expects the decision not to require white space devices to be licensed to reduce the pressure on existing mobile networks and potentially offer an effective method of delivering broadband services to rural locations.

“Within Europe, we have been leading the way to try to harness this capacity without causing harmful interference to existing users of the spectrum,” said Ed Richards, chief executive, Ofcom.

To ensure that existing users of the broadcast spectrum are not impaired by white space users, Ofcom will need to establish a database containing details on the location, radio-frequency and power levels a white space transmitter can use. Ofcom hopes to create a competitive market by allowing multiple third-party providers to develop the database.

Ofcom will also consult on a draft statutory proposal that would make white space devices licence exempt. European regulations on white space technology are not expected to be finalised for some months.

The UK’s first trials of using white space technology to deliver broadband to rural homes took place in Cambridge earlier in 2011.