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ZetaCast assists Microsoft in "White Spaces" trial in Cambridge

ZetaCast is pleased to assist Microsoft in putting together a trial of "White Spaces" technology in Cambridge.

White Spaces are parts of the TV spectrum which are not used by broadcast TV signals in a paricular location. The idea is that low-power location-sensitive devices, such as laptops, tablets and smart phones, would be able to take advantage of this locally unused spectrum to access mobile data services. The additional capacity that this technique would make available could provide a cost-effective solution for the ever-increasing demands on mobile bandwidth for services such as internet access, audio streaming and video downloads.

Although small-scale implementation of white spaces has already begun in the US, it still remains to be confirmed that there is no risk of potential interference problems when the technology is used in a European broadcasting environment. The Cambridge trial will examine these issues as well as providing a showcase for the type of new communications and information services that white spaces could provide. The trial will include streaming high-quality video and audio content from the BBC and BSkyB over the TV white spaces spectrum to a range of mobile devices. The white spaces hotspots in Cambridge will include pubs as well as some commercial and residential premises.

The consortium chose Cambridge for the trial because it has a long history in developing novel wireless communication technologies and it offers an environment for testing diverse uses of the TV white spaces network. The city is distinguished by a dense mixture of buildings, including the historic stone buildings of its colleges, which offer a unique opportunity to demonstrate the penetration of TV white spaces signals when compared with other higher frequency networks such as Wi-Fi. And although Cambridge itself has good broadband access, some neighbouring villages suffer poor broadband service, allowing the advantageous range of TV white spaces communications to be demonstrated.

The consortium partners for the trial are Arqiva, BBC, BSkyB, BT, Cambridge Consultants, CRFS, Microsoft, Neul, Nokia, NXP, Samsung, Spectrum Bridge and TTP. For further information, see the Cambridge White Spaces Trial web-site at http://cwst.org.uk/