WiFi 802.22 Technology Promises Wireless Data Over 60 Miles: Say Goodbye to Data Plans

It's the news bit you've been waiting years to hear! The folks at the IEEE standards body have today announced a next-generation WiFi IEEE 802.22TM standard – technology that's designed to facilitate wireless data transfer up to 60 miles (or a hundred kilometers) at 22Mbps. This technology is said to work over these great distances by utilizing television bands – without interfering with the reception of existing television broadcast stations at that. Imagine it – connect to your HambergerDLX network anywhere inside your town from your smartphone with no data plan costs. Magical freedom!

Photo by Wayani

This technology takes advantage of VHF and UHF TV bands and transmits broadband wireless internet over 60 miles in diameter. This technology takes place in the space between channels, aka the place where the poltergeists live, if you believe technology lore. The officials at the IEEE standards body have noted the following about this new age in wireless technology:

This new standard for Wireless Regional Area Networks (WRANs) takes advantage of the favorable transmission characteristics of the VHF and UHF TV bands to provide broadband wireless access over a large area up to 100 km from the transmitter. Each WRAN will deliver up to 22 Mbps per channel without interfering with reception of existing TV broadcast stations, using the so-called white spaces between the occupied TV channels.

IEEE, the world's largest professional association advancing technology for humanity that is, noted that this technology will be "especially useful" in less densely populated areas, developing countries, and other locations where most vacant television channels can be found. They're there – let's use em!

What if it's true? It seems much, much too good to be true, doesn't it? It's the inexpensive means of getting data we've always dreamed of. Just think of only spending $60 a month (or however much it costs near you) for data both in and outside your home, unlimited data, data you'd otherwise have to pay twice as much for on a network that might just as well be cut out of the equation altogether? The facts are here, the news release is plain and simple, but something tells me this tech might never see the light of day – what do you think?