FCC appoints Google as white space database manager

This week the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) gave nine firms, including Google, backing to manage databases which will coordinate the usage of “white spaces” for high-speed wireless broadband networking.
White spaces are relatively unexploited frequencies of the broadcast spectrum which can be repurposed for high-speed wireless broadband networking.
Google was undeniably pleased by the decision, declaring in a statement “Today we’re one step closer to a world with ‘super Wi-Fi.'”
Google has long been a vocal supporter of being able to use the spectrum between TV broadcast frequencies, saying it would provide a much more affordable high-speed wireless broadband, but it’s not as simple as Google would have the world believe.
Using white space requires a huge amount of coordination to ensure wireless devices using it don’t interfere with and degrade the quality of broadcast television, for example. This has angered broadcasters and the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), along with the Association for Maximum Service Television has already filed a lawsuit to block the initiative.
Google, however, believes its databases can help tell TV band devices which frequencies are available at any given time for use.
Joining Google as fellow white spaces database operators, the FCC has appointed Comsearch, Frequency Finder, KB Enterprises and LS Telcom (jointly), Key Bridge Global, Neustar, Spectrum Bridge, Telcordia Technologies, and WSdb.