Nation's First White Spaces Network Deployed

Hello, Claudville, Va., the home of the nation's first deployed wireless TV white spaces network. The FCC (Federal Communications Commission) voted a year ago to allow the unlicensed use of the interference buffer zones -- known as white spaces -- between digital television signals to deliver broadband and other advanced media services.

Under an experimental license granted by the FCC, Spectrum Bridge designed and deployed the wireless TV white spaces network to distribute broadband Internet connectivity in Claudville. Dell, Microsoft and the TDF Foundation contributed state-of-the-art computer systems and software applications to the local school, as well as the town's new computer center.

"I hope that Claudville will become a model for delivering broadband services to more rural communities in a cost-effective manner in the future," Rep. Rick Boucher (D-Va.), chairman of the House Subcommittee on Communications, Technology and the Internet, said in a statement.

The TV white spaces network is providing the "middle mile" link between the wired backhaul and the Wi-Fi hot spot networks deployed in Claudville’s business area as well as the local school.  The same network is also providing last mile broadband connectivity directly to end users.

To ensure that the use of TV white spaces in Claudville does not cause interference with local TV signals, the network is controlled by Spectrum Bridge’s intelligent TV white spaces database system. This database assigns non-interfering frequencies to white spaces devices and can adapt in real time to new TV broadcasts, as well as to other protected TV band users operating in the area.