Technology giants propose white space plan

The White Spaces Database Group plans to exploit the abandoned analogue TV spectrum

A number of companies, including Microsoft, Google and Motorola, are teaming up on a new white space wireless network plan.

The White Spaces Database Group, as it will be known, plans to create, govern and maintain a wireless broadband network on the abandoned analogue television spectrum.

Following a last-minute delay, the deadline to vacate the spectrum has been pushed back until June in order to allow consumers more time to properly equip their television sets for the new digital-only signal.

When the spectrum is finally vacated, the group hopes to have a system in place that will allow the creation of an open wireless broadband network accessible by any device. The FCC officially approved keeping the spectrum open in November, despite staunch opposition from telecoms firms.

"With a goal of bringing the benefits of white spaces to consumers as soon as possible, the group intends to establish data formats and protocols that are open and non-proprietary, and will advocate that database administration be open and non-exclusive," the group said in a statement.

Other companies signing on to the project include Dell, HP and wireless network management firms Comsearch and Neustar.