End of Incentive Auction Called Good News for TV White Spaces

With the TV incentive auction nearly a wrap, the outlook is very positive for the TV white spaces, the WhiteSpace Alliance said Wednesday. The auction is in its final stage, expected to be complete by the end of the month. “The completion of the incentive auction will remove regulatory uncertainty and free up more than 80 MHz of spectrum for license-exempt wireless Internet access,” said Apurva Mody, chairman of the alliance, in a news release. “TV white space technology can now enable broadband services to be delivered cost-efficiently across the United States, especially in rural and underserved users. We have seen innovative applications in medical, military and home markets from use of unlicensed spectrum in 2.5 GHz ISM bands. This newly available spectrum will support additional digital infrastructure development across the United States, and help foster the Industrial Internet of Things.”