“WhiteFi” or “Super WiFi” also know as Wireless LANs using TV-spectrum is now in commercial deployment. In the city of Wilmington, NC, a company called Spectrum Bridge has deployed a network that provides the public with Internet access in local parks and broadband for video security surveillance. Spectrum access is based on Spectrum Bridge’s “cloud based” (i.e. geolocation database access) platform . The company claims that the system “provides a platform for future development and serves as a model for other municipalities looking to take advantage of TVWS availability across the US”.
The label “Super WiFi” has already been causing some controversy. First of all, the data rates reported so far are in the 15 Mbit/s range, i.e. far from “domestic standard” 54 Mbit/s as provided by 802.11g. The other issue is that the WiFi-alliance has “WiFi” as registered trademark – adding “Super” will certain cause legal issue.
