Ofcom ponders future of analogue TV spectrum - Network IT Week

Ofcom ponders future of analogue TV spectrum - Network IT Week

The analogue spectrum could be a valuable commodity. As it's "low" frequency it wont be able to sustain huge data rates, however it can still carry multi-megabits per second which means it could be used for wireless broadband. As it's lower frequency it also has very good propogation characteristics and penetrates buildings well (which microwave i.e. >GHz fequencies don't).

A US company xG Technologies have developed a new form of radio modulation which could be ideal for these bands. They use 6KHz carriers and say they can encode 1bit/cycle which is very efficient. If the technology actually works it could be a breakthrough allowing very advanced wireless broadband which would cause little or no interference with other users of neighbouring spectrum. This technology would also work well in the GSM guardbands which Ofcom have opened bidding.