back to article Cambridge startup launches world's first white space radio

Neul, the Cambridge startup staffed by some of the UK's top radio boffins, has started manufacturing a white space radio, despite the fact that there isn't a single country where such a thing would be legal to use. Neul launched last year, and has been talking about protocols and standards for use in white space: television …

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  1. Gregg Stuart

    How about

    Using it for smart metering, especially as it would have more penetration than bluetooth/zigbee.

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Won't be bothering, thanks.

    "White space transmitters will be required to check with an online database to see what frequencies are available, which should prevent the more-trivial applications"

    I've heard this little feature sold as a plus point, based on the idea that you will have more frequencies available to you as time goes on. I suspect the reverse, however, as it gives Ofcom the option of gradually selling off spectrum without making any of this kit unusable. So not only will you have the problems that we all have at 2.4GHz of contending with more and more kit as time goes on, but you will also have the problem of the number of available frequency bands reducing as well.

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Unhappy

    Basement?

    "Neul has calculated it could build a national Weightless network to connect British ones up, reaching into the basement of every home in the UK, for £50m or so."

    We have no basement.

    1. nyelvmark
      Thumb Up

      We have no basement.

      That's why it's so cheap.

  4. Steven Knox
    Mushroom

    Thanks.

    "... use to fill the empty spaces. "

    Now I'll have Pink Floyd in my head for the rest of the day.

  5. Dave 15

    surely

    The best way of seeing if a frequency is in use locally is to have a quick listen? After all, you must have something like that now anyway - what if two transmitters check the database and decide on the same frequency...

    I think the 'check on a database' is just another way of allowing big brother to tax what you are doing

    1. Edward Hull
      Coat

      Nice but broken.

      Your white-space kit is deaf. It also shouts louder than than the signal your TV is listening for (with much better hearing) - resulting in your TV only hearing that noisy yob of a white-space system.

      Detect and avoid has been tried and repeatedly failed. (I believe the register covered Microsoft's repeated attempts with the FCC.)

      It can only work if it has better hearing than the system it isn't supposed to squash. Than means a better receiver and antenna - and the antenna needs to be in an equivalent or better location than the legacy system.

      Yes, using a database sucks - but it is the fall-back position because what you suggest does not (with current and currently practical technology) work.

      mine is the one with the cognitive radio blurb covered in red notes in the pocket.

  6. Anonymous Coward
    WTF?

    Basement

    Is radio reception improved in a basement? I believe mine is defective as it cannot receive 802.11n, DAB, or FM, I may have to check AM.

    1. Alister
      Angel

      Quite obviously...

      ...you are holding your basement incorrectly.

      Not that big of a deal...

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