Microsoft Wants to Use TV Frequencies for the Internet Using white space technology,

Microsoft Wants to Use TV Frequencies for the Internet

Using white space technology, which has its critics.

 

"White spaces" are intentional gaps between television channels on the wireless spectrum below 700 MHz put in place for buffering purposes, so important bands with actual traffic have some breathing room between each other. But if put to use for internet purposes, these bands have superior reach over regular Wi-Fi with the ability to get a connection over 6 miles away (10 kilometers), and can easily move through buildings or vegetation, two factors that make it intriguing for rural use.

Microsoft has promoted the technology for years, launching trials in England, Kenya, Colombia and the Philippines. Microsoft also hopes to invest in 12 projects in 12 states over the next year, with the goal of bringing broadband connectivity to two million people in rural America by July 4, 2022.

In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Microsoft President Brad Smith declined to state how much the company was spending on the project, calling it a "civic investment." But he did note that the company expects to see dividends down on the road, saying that white space technology will be "good for everybody in technology, including Microsoft." The company has estimated that it would cost between somewhere between $10 and $15 billion to connect all of rural America with broadband access using TV white spaces.