FCC to catalog white space spectrum -- InformationWeek

In a move that could bring white-space devices one step closer, the Federal Communication Commission is teaming with the private sector to create databases that catalog the available spectrum in various markets.

White spaces are the unused spectrum between television signals that essentially act as a buffer between channels. Companies likeMicrosoft (NSDQ: MSFT), Google (NSDQ: GOOG), and Intel (NSDQ: INTC) have said there is massive potential to use this spectrum in an unlicensed way to provide cheap, long-range broadband connectivity. The FCC's database will identify what spectrum is usable in each market, and this information will be critical for device makers hoping to utilize white spaces...