p2pnet news | TV:- You know all that white, staticky fuzz in between TV shows?

Google has an idea how to cash in on it.

Use it to spamvertise viewers.

Without having to pay for it.

Google is, “making a renewed pitch to regulators for free access to what may be the last great swath of airwaves – the unused spectrum between broadcast TV channels,” says the Los Angeles Times.

The company, “turned its attention to TV ‘white spaces’ after it failed to win any spectrum in the recent auction by the Federal Communications Commission that raised $19.1 billion,” says the story.

“Analysts said the company probably did not want to win any of that spectrum. Google provided the minimum $4.6-billion bid on a large nationwide group of spectrum licenses ultimately won by Verizon Wireless in an effort to ensure that those airwaves be required to be open to any device or software.”

Open access would allow Google to, “deliver ads to people surfing the Web on their cellphones and tap into the wireless market without spending billions of dollars to license the spectrum and build towers to transmit the signals.”

Google sent an open letter to regulators saying the US spectrum was a ‘once in a lifetime opportunity’,” says the BBC, continuing >>>

“The vast majority of viable spectrum in this country simply goes unused, or else is grossly underutilised,” wrote Google’s Richard Whitt in the letter.

“Unlike other natural resources, there is no benefit to allowing this spectrum to lie fallow,” he added.

At least, not when Google can get its hands on it, and for free.

Adds the story:

“Mr Whitt said there was enough unused spectrum for businesses to create a wide range of options, such as building small peer-to-peer networks or even establishing an alternative national wireless network.

Slashdot it!

Also See:
Los Angeles Times – Google revives push to get free airwaves, March 25, 2008
BBC – Google backs ‘white space’ wi-fi, March 25, 2008

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 25th, 2008 at 6:02 am and is filed under Advertising, TV. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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