Term

coined by US Federal Communications Commission(FCC) to describe wireless n/w proposal used for creation of longer distance wireless internet. Wi-Fi uses the lower frequency white spaces b/w TV channel frequencies.
White spaces includes unused frequencies in the TV spectrum- b/w 50MHz & 700MHz Wi-Fi uses radio frequency of 2.4GHz.

Super

Regular

A computers wireless adapter translates data into a radio signal and transmits it using an antenna. A wireless router receives the signal and decodes it. The router sends the information to the Internet using a physical, wired Ethernet connection. The process also works in reverse, with the router receiving information from the Internet, translating it into a radio signal and sending it to the computer's wireless adapter.

 In

1985 the FCC opened up several bands of wireless spectrum called garbage bands. Garbage bands included frequencies at 900MHz,2.4GHz & 5.8GHz. In 1997 the 802.11 standard was defined. 802.11a operates at 2.4GHz. 802.11b operates at 5 GHz. 802.11g operates at 2.4GHz. 802.11n operates at both 2.4GHz and 5GHz.

Our surroundings the house or apartment or office is saturated with radio waves, vibrating forth from radio stations, TV stations, cellular towers, and the universe itself. Many cordless telephones, baby monitors and garage door openers use the 2.4 GHz frequency; the same frequency at which the different Wi-Fi standards operate. Bluetooth devices intended for use in short-range personal area networks operate from 2.4 to 2.4835 GHz. Certain car manufacturers use the 2.4 GHz frequency for their car alarm internal movement sensors. Microwave ovens operate by emitting a very high power signal in the 2.4 GHz band. Older devices have poor shielding, and often emit a very "dirty" signal over the entire 2.4 GHz band.

Networking over UHF white spaces is fundamentally different from conventional Wi-Fi along three axes: 1. Spatial variation 2. Spectrum fragmentation 3. Temporal variation

Spatial Variation: Across a wide area, the set of occupied TV channels depends on the location of TV transmitters as well as the number of stations operating in an area. Wireless microphones also transmit in this spectrum. Spatial variation exists on smaller scales based on obstructions and construction material as well. For these reasons, we expect significant spatial variation in spectrum availability for wireless network communications.

Spectrum fragmentation: While the ISM bands are a contiguous chunk of spectrum, UHF white spaces are fragmented due to the presence of incumbents.

The size of each fragment can vary from 1 channel to several channels. The amount of fragmentation in the UHF bands depends to a large extent on the density of TV stations, which varies considerably with population density.
Rural (and suburban) areas are likely to have larger chunks of available UHF spectrum than urban areas.

Temporal Variation: Finally, the UHF white spaces also suffer from temporal variation, in particular due to the widespread use of wireless microphones (mics) from lecture rooms in campuses to musicians at home, and from sporting events. Wireless mics can be turned on at any time. Both clients and APs should detect the presence of a mic on a channel and move away from that channel.

White space devices needs to satisfy 2 critical conditions: 1. whitespace devices must sense local transmissions from televisions and wireless microphones in order to avoid transmitting on those frequencies, and 2. The devices must also access a geolocation database of known transmitters as a backup solution in case spectrum sensing failed. To address the first condition, spectrum sensing, cognitive radio is being used. Cognitive radio (CR) is a form of wireless communication in which a transceiver can intelligently detect which communication channels are in use and which are not, and instantly move into vacant channels while avoiding occupied ones.

 Functions

of cognitive radio include the ability of a transceiver to determine its geographic location, identify and authorize its user, sense neighbouring wireless devices in operation. address the 2nd condition of querying a special geolocation database before transmitting, DELL, HP, Google, Microsoft and Motorola have formed a White Space Database Group. start-up, white spaces devices will query the database with their current location and will receive in response a list of area frequencies that are not to be used, even if the device's own scanner thinks they are clear.

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"WhiteFi", a proposal from Microsoft Research to create a Wi-Fi-style system in which multiple clients can connect to a local access point operating in the UHF TV band. WhiteFi builds on a simple technique, that reduces the time to detect transmissions in variable channel width systems by analyzing raw signals in the time domain.

SenseLess which is another proposal from Microsoft is a Database-Driven White Spaces Network SenseLess, WSDs obviate the need to sense the spectrum by relying entirely on a database service to determine white space availability.

WhiteFi is based on 3 key components: 1. Spectrum assignment 2. Access point discovery using SIFT 3. Handling Disconnections Spectrum assignment: An algorithm that periodically reevaluates the assignment based on white space availability at the AP(access point) and client. AP Discovery: Traditional Wi-Fi clients perform AP discovery by scanning each channel and listening for periodic beacons from APs, which are transmitted every 100 ms. Access points are discovered by clients using an algorithm called SIFT(signal interpretation before Fourier transform)which analysis signals in the time

 Handling

Disconnections: A key challenge in WhiteFi is dealing with the sudden appearance of a primary user (such as a wireless microphone) on a channel that an APclient pair is using for communications. The AP maintains a separate 5 MHz backup channel that is advertised as part of its beacon packets on its main channel.

If the AP or a client detects a primary user on the main channel, the node switches to the backup channel and transmits a series of chirps that contain information on the white spaces available at that node.

Like Wi-Fi, the availability of free, unregulated spectrum could create new technologies and new markets, bringing superfast wireless connectivity to the masses. Opening up white spaces will lower the cost of communications. The spectrum will allow wireless signals to travel two to three times farther than Wi-Fi signals can today, including through obstacles.

White-space frequencies are unlicensed, which means any company can use the spectrum.
companies such as Motorola, Phillips and Dell could create new mobile devices that could become alternatives to smart phones or companions to notebooks.