Google now joins the list of companies that have been approved by the FCC (Federal Communications Commission to operate a database on TV white spaces. The company was granted approval after having completed a 45-day testing phase required by the FCC. The FCC has been working with wireless carriers in the US to free up spectrum for use by wireless broadband devices. Google’s white spaces database is expected to document broadcast frequencies that are currently in use. This will help identify unlicensed space on the spectrum for use by wireless broadband devices.
TV broadcasters are however against the unlicensed use of the spectrum as this may cause interference to their own frequencies. There have also been complaints from wireless carriers about the lack of adequate available spectrum to provide data services demanded by the market. The white spaces database projects being developed by Google and other companies are expected to demonstrate the possibility of using TV white spaces without causing interference.
