«A coalition of large technology companies wants to bring high-speed internet access to consumers in a new way: over television airwaves. The six that make up the coalition - Microsoft, Google, Dell, Hewlett-Packard, Intel and Philips - want the Federal Communications Commission to allow idle TV channels, known as white space, to be used to beam the internet into homes and offices, writes the Washington Post. But the FCC must first be convinced that such traffic would not leak outside designated channels and interfere with existing broadcasts. If a device submitted to government labs passes muster, versions could hit stores by early 2009. The new device would create competition among phone and cable companies that deliver high-speed Internet potentially driving prices down and would make it possible to deliver broadband to rural areas. Google joined the coalition because the effort could create opportunities to transmit information over new platforms. It also might strengthen Google's hand should the traditional internet pipelines - big phone and cable companies - start charging internet companies higher prices to move content more swiftly to consumers. »

fonte: «Tech Giants Pushing Use of Airwaves for Internet», MarketingVox, 14/03/07