Wireless Connectivity: Fast-track broadband unveiled

Fast-track broadband unveiled

Written by Anonymous on 4:57 AM

GOOGLE has unveiled plans to launch wireless broadband "on steroids" in America as early as next year in a move that could be replicated in Australia.

The new wireless broadband service would be significantly faster than current broadband internet access and could deliver feature films or full music albums to mobile phones with little delay.

Google outlined its plan to the US Federal Communications Commission, applying to use the soon-to-be vacant analogue TV airwaves in the US to deliver broadband access for low-powered internet devices.

The service would specifically use the so-called "white space" between television channels. A Google executive called the plan "wi-fi 2.0 or wi-fi on steroids".

Google media counsel Rick Whitt said the service could deliver data transmission speeds of billions of bits a second – far faster than the millions of bits a second available on most current broadband networks.

Similar speedy wireless broadband services could become available in Australia after analogue TV broadcasts are switched off at the end of December 2013.

Australian Communication and Media Authority media manager Donald Robertson said the authority had already called for submissions on how to use the abandoned spectrum.