Broadband News
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Wi-Fi 'on steroids' plan approved by FCC
24 Sep 2010 | 09.38 Europe/London
The FCC has voted unanimously to allow the ‘white space’ of radio spectrum that was originally used as a buffer for analogue television broadcasts to be reappropriated for Wi-Fi.
This paves the way for what many are referring to as 'Wi-Fi on steroids' or ‘super Wi-Fi’ which give far stronger signals that will broadcast data and multimedia entertainment throughout a home or office, and even beyond.
Any current user of Wi-Fi will know that, despite the claims made for the technology, it struggles to provide a good service throughout a property because its waves struggle to get through thick walls or ceilings and floorboards.
The super Wi-Fi uses longer wavelengths which travel through walls and other surfaces far better and so should give a good service throughout a house or office building.
Interestingly, one of the first uses could also be to provide internet services to a wider community of houses, or a campus, through a single connection. It is also expected to allow companies to wirelessly link offices in neighbouring buildings.
The decision is also expected to prompt computer, television and set top box manufacturers to install chips able to receive the super Wi-Fi frequencies so data and multimedia entertainment can be streamed around a building, bridging the gap between the computer and router in the study and the main television set in the living room, without the need for wires.
This paves the way for what many are referring to as 'Wi-Fi on steroids' or ‘super Wi-Fi’ which give far stronger signals that will broadcast data and multimedia entertainment throughout a home or office, and even beyond.
Any current user of Wi-Fi will know that, despite the claims made for the technology, it struggles to provide a good service throughout a property because its waves struggle to get through thick walls or ceilings and floorboards.
The super Wi-Fi uses longer wavelengths which travel through walls and other surfaces far better and so should give a good service throughout a house or office building.
Interestingly, one of the first uses could also be to provide internet services to a wider community of houses, or a campus, through a single connection. It is also expected to allow companies to wirelessly link offices in neighbouring buildings.
The decision is also expected to prompt computer, television and set top box manufacturers to install chips able to receive the super Wi-Fi frequencies so data and multimedia entertainment can be streamed around a building, bridging the gap between the computer and router in the study and the main television set in the living room, without the need for wires.