Carlson Wireless announces standards-based white-space radio

Carlson Wireless said it is developing the next generation of its Rural Connect IP radio that takes advantage of TV white-space spectrum.

The radio, called Rural Connect 2, is being built to the recently ratified IEEE 802.22 standard that specifies how white-space devices should operate in both 8-megahertz- and 6-megahertz-wide channels. The radio is expected to come to market in the next four to six months, said company President Jim Carlson in an interview with Urgent Communications.

With standardization, Carlson said that white-space devices will have interoperability and economies of scale that should reduce costs. In addition, Carlson said his company has developed new hardware for the radio that is expected to reduce the overall cost of the radio by half. New generations of chipsets should also help lower the cost of the white-space radio, he said.

"In a couple of years, a [better] chipset can help you reduce the cost of a $300 device down to a $100 device," Carlson said. "Just like what's occurred with Wi-Fi."

The IEEE standards body completed work in July on 802.22.1 and 802.22.2, which form part of the 802.22 standard for white-space spectrum. The new standard, which defines how wireless broadband can interleave with other signals, is being positioned to provide rural broadband services through wireless regional area networks (WRANS).

For more:
- see this Urgent Communications article

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