Google, Microsoft Need to
Recruit Device and Chipset Giants to White Space Effort
Boston, MA - May
30, 2013
- White Space spectrum use is moving forward in the US and UK markets but more
work is needed to broaden the ecosystem, states Strategy Analytics. Internet giants Google and Microsoft are
driving the push for White Space to support affordable ubiquitous broadband
connectivity to help them reach a larger potential market and extend their
service portfolio, but participation by chipset and device leaders is lagging.
The Strategy Analytics Wireless
Networks and Platforms (WNP) service report, “White
Space: Opening the Door to a New Spectrum Usage Paradigm,” compares the
regulatory policies of the FCC and OFCOM on White Space uses, and examines the
market potential and eight possible deployment scenarios for White Space
spectrum. The White Space spectrum will
provide a cost effective approach for wireless broadband connectivity in rural
areas and for machine-to-machine communications. Besides wireless broadband
access in rural area and M2M communications, the TV White Space should also be viable
for backhaul in thinly populated areas in developing markets, although the
bandwidth availability and QoS are potentially significant barriers to
widespread adoption.
“Both Microsoft and Google have
been designated White Space database administrators by the FCC. Operating the
database and the value added services over the database should create new
prospects for both parties,” noted Susan Welsh de Grimaldo, Director Wireless
Networks & Platforms. “In addition, through their operation of mobile
device operating systems, Microsoft and Google have the opportunity to steer
device technology in a direction beneficial to their White Space ambitions, so
furthering the cause of TV White Space development.”
“The Internet community is also
driving the standardization of White Space. IEEE and IETF develop the standard
for air interface and the interface between White Space devices and geolocation
databases. Meanwhile the standard addressing the White Space solution for M2M
is being developed by Weightless, an industry forum mainly backed by Neul, a
startup company for White Space solutions,” added Guang Yang, Senior Analyst.
“To address the potential markets, the TV White Space community needs to speed
up the development of the ecosystem, particularly to involve more big-name
chipset and device players in the community.”
The report also discusses the
further evolution of spectrum management paradigm. Shared spectrum access
models will be key to unlocking sufficient bandwidth for mobile broadband
services in the long term. The Authorized Shared Access (ASA) or Licensed
Shared Access (LSA) mode is more welcome by the traditional telecom community
and already adopted by the FCC on the Citizens Broadband Service in 3.5GHz
band.