Good news, students and staff of West Virginia University: Your campus connectivity is about to improve drastically.
WVU is turning unused television spectrum into Wi-Fi networks, the university announced this week. The Wi-Fi networks will operate on spectrum vacated when area TV networks made the digital transition. That move left behind so-called "white spaces," spectrum designated for a particular purpose nationally, like TV -- but are unused locally.
"The university has partnered with AIR.U, the Advanced Internet Regions consortium, to transform the 'TV white spaces' frequencies left empty when television stations moved to digital broadcasting into much-needed connectivity for students and the surrounding community," reads a university press release about the connectivity plans.
Even non-West Virginia University students and Morgantown residents should still care about the innovation. Many experts hope that reforming white spaces nationwide will help ease the spectrum crunch and improve connectivity around the country. West Virginia University's pilot program is viewed as an important test for broader white-space spectrum reform.
"Innovative deployment of TV white spaces presents an exciting opportunity for underserved rural and low-income urban communities across the country," said Federal Communications Commission Acting Chairwoman Mignon Clyburn in a statement. "This pilot will not only demonstrate how TV white-space technologies can help bridge the digital divide, but also could offer valuable insights into how best to structure future deployments."
WVU's new Wi-Fi network will first cover its equally innovative Public Rapid Transit system, an on-demand automated service that moves 15,000 riders around the campus and community every day.
Is white-space spectrum reform the key to improved connectivity across the country? Share your thoughts in the comments.