Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) calls it "Wi-Fi on Steroids," Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) calls it "White-Fi," and most others are just calling it "Super Wi-Fi." It boils down to the opportunity to use unlicensed spectrum in TV bands to provide a faster, longer-ranging and more reliable form of Wi-Fi. The opportunity was made possible by new rules established by the Federal Communications Commission last week.

The FCC voted Thursday to allow the use of unlicensed spectrum in un-used or under-used television bands, known in regulatory jargon as white spaces. The spectrum is at a lower frequency than spectrum used for Wi-Fi today, enabling signals to travel farther and go through walls or other obstacles. New, Super Wi-Fi technologies might be used to expand hotspots, implement smart meters or improve broadband connectivity in rural areas.

The debate over the white spaces pitted TV broadcasters against several tech companies, including Microsoft, Dell and Google. Microsoft praised the FCC's decision as one that will encourage investment in advanced broadband technologies. The Redmond, Wash., company has already set up a "White-Fi" prototype among its own offices, which "delivers more economical broadband Internet access for employees traveling between buildings on the campus" Chief Research and Strategy Officer Craig Mundie wrote in a blog post.

Sprinkling a little rain on the parade is ZDNet's Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols, who notes that while the signal range in the frequencies at issue might be super, the speed isn't. The projected speeds of 1.5Mbps downstream and 384 Kbps upstream are "rather pedestrian," and they'll only be that fast if providers have sufficient infrastructure built out, which isn't a given.

"One of the big reasons why WiMAX has been so slow to deploy in the U.S. and LTE (Long Term Evolution) is barely out of the starting blocks, is that the ultra-high-speed Internet backbones needed to support them are still being built," Vaughan-Nichols writes. 

For more:
- see the FCC news release on white spaces decision
- see Craig Mundie's post at Microsoft blog
- see Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols' post at ZDNet

Related Articles:
Hotspots multiply while legal questions over data privacy persist
San Francisco Giants CIO discusses tech at the ballpark