Super Wi-Fi network eyed for rural college towns

A consortium of higher education associations, public interest groups and high-tech companies have formed a new partnership named AIR.U (Advanced Internet Regions) to deploy Super Wi-Fi networks on underserved college campuses and their local communities. The partnership will use unlicensed access to unused television channels to provide access.

Rural communities are seen as ideal for the use of white spaces for wireless broadband Internet connectivity, often called Super Wi-Fi, because they tend to have fewer licensed TV stations, and therefore more vacant spectrum in the white spaces. Further, the low frequency range of Super Wi-Fi means that a single base station can cover a radius of about 6 miles with high-speed broadband, according to Apurva Mody, Chair of the White Space Alliance.

"University communities will be able to significantly expand the coverage and capacity of high speed wireless communities, both on- and off-campus," said Michael Calabrese of the New America Foundation, which is helping to lead the effort.

AIR.U reportedly plans to launch super Wi-Fi pilot programs in about six rural university towns in the first quarter of 2013. The AIR.U coalition also plans to roll out super Wi-Fi to additional areas following the pilot projects.

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