A startup has begun production of a white space radio, despite the fact that using such a device in Britain is currently illegal.

White space, in the context of telecommunications, refers to frequencies that have been handed out to a broadcasting service, but which aren't actually being used in a particular locality. They're a favourite of pirate radio stations, which broadcast without a license. With the shut-down of analogue television signal, there's increasing amounts of white space available, which Ofcom wants to turn into mobile broadband.

Neul is a startup based in Cambridge that wants to be on the leading edge of those developments, so it's already started production of a radio that can tap into this white space, for organisations who want to test the capabilities of the technology. For the time being, though, the use of it is illegal -- instead you'll need to get a license from Ofcom to access the bandwidth legally. Those who submit to that process, however, will gain access to 16Mb/s connection speeds that can extend to up to 10km.

Once use of the bandwidth is no longer subject to a license -- which is expected within a couple of years -- it'll fill up fast with all kinds of radio equipment. Neul reckons that the best way to deal with different applications filling up the available space will be to agree a standard protocol (like Bluetooth or Wi-Fi) that all devices will use. A proposal for one called "Weightless" is set to launch in the coming weeks, and Neul is pushing for more companies to join in discussions on how it could operate.

For now, though, Neul's base station, terminal devices, antennas and network management tools are available through its website.


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