UK regulator Ofcom is currently looking at filling the “white spaces” which are the buffers between TV channels in the UK. These unoccupied radio waves could be the perfect answer to the issue of how and when UK broadband would be rolled out to the masses in its wireless form. This is a situation which has troubled Ofcom for some time and caused significant controversy and disagreement within the industry.
However, it looks as though Ofcom will have some resistance to the move with the entertainment industry suggesting that “filling the white spaces” will interfere with radio mikes and other entertainment industry delivery systems. The blueprint for this new development in the UK broadband sector is the US counterpart where “white space” has been used to accommodate wireless broadband services in the States.
It seems that whichever way Ofcom turns there is resistance to the growth in broadband and wireless broadband in the UK but unfortunately for those looking to block new initiatives, there is a need to put this in place as soon as some. Whether the use of “white space” is the ultimate answer remains to be seen but it is certainly an option which the UK regulators are looking into.