TFA: Rice Wireless Networks

press

New Wi-Fi Network Rides Unused TV Airwaves (PDF-text)
Innovation News Daily, Francie Diep, Staff Writer
Nestled between airwaves owned by U.S. TV stations are slices of unused, un-owned broadcasting frequencies—and a new project by Microsoft hopes to use that space to deliver more-efficient, faster wireless Internet. But the project comes at a time of uncertainty about who, if anyone, will ultimately own these free frequencies. The future of this and similar innovations depends on pending legislation that Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski discussed at this year's Consumer Electronics Show.

Rice students turn Houston home into super Wi-Fi hot spot
KHOU 11 News

Conectividad, hasta con antenas de TV, probarán investigadores de EE.UU. en Misiones
Noticias del 6 (Buenos Aires Argentina)

Misiones sería prueba piloto para un novedoso sistema de Wi Fi
Con la participación de Investigadores de la Universidad RICE de Houston, Texas (USA), se llevó a cabo esta mañana una conferencia de prensa con el objeto de informar a la población acerca de avances en alternativas tecnológicas para garantizar la conectividad, en el marco del Plan Estratégico de Comunicación y Conectividad Provincial. Se trata de un proyecto que pretende extender el alcance de las redes WiFi usando las señales de televisión.
Actualidad Sur (Buenos Aires, Argentina)

Misiones será prueba piloto para un novedoso sistema de Wi-Fi
Es un proyecto de investigadores de la universidad de Rice, Houston, Texas, Estados Unidos, que se intenta aplicar como alternativa tecnológica para garantizar la conectividad, en el marco del plan estratégico de Comunicación y conectividad provincial. La intención es extender el alcance de las redes WiFi usando las señales de televisión.
Radio Cataratas (Buenos Aires, Argentina)

Proponen extender el alcance de las redes WiFi usando antenas de televisión
Ya misiones.com (Buenos Aires, Argentina)

Rice University brings white-space network to Houston
Rice University--in partnership with its wireless communications researchers and nonprofit Technology For All (TFA)--announced it will offer prototype in-home white-space hotspot to Houston locals and graduate students involved in putting the trial together.
Fierce Broadband Wireless

Granny uses 'Super Wi-Fi' to watch YouTube videos
Thanks to a partnership between Rice University wireless communications researchers and Houston nonprofit Technology For All, a Houston resident and grandmother's home has become a "Super Wi-Fi" hot spot this month. Edward Knightly, professor in electrical and computer engineering and computer science, and Ryan Guerra, a graduate student in electrical and computer engineering, are quoted or mentioned.
The Atlantic

Houston grandmother becomes US's first 'Super Wi-Fi' user
Pune Mirror (India)

More and more, white-space use is looking like a rural play
UrgentComm.com

First white spaces access point gives grandma the Internet
ITWorld.com

First White Spaces AP Gives Grandma the Internet
Slashdot

WiFi on Steroids: Could ‘White Space’ save Canada’s Internet?
Macleans (Canada)

Houston grandma is nation's first 'Super Wi-Fi' adopter
Thanks to a partnership between Rice University wireless communications researchers and Houston nonprofit Technology For All, a Houston resident and grandmother's home has become a "Super Wi-Fi" hot spot this month. Edward Knightly, professor in electrical and computer engineering and computer science, and Ryan Guerra, a graduate student in electrical and computer engineering, are quoted or mentioned in the articles. Guerra is pictured in the Fast Company, the Register and TheGadgetGuyColumn.com articles.
Fast Company

Texas grandma gets first 'Super Wi-Fi'
The Register (U.K.)

1st white spaces access point gives grandma the internet
PC World (This article also appeared in Computerworld, NetworkWorld.com, IDG.no and CIO.com.)

Rice University, TFA partnership makes Houston grandmother's home 'Super Wi-Fi' hot spot
TMCNet.com

'Super Wi-Fi' white spaces test launches in east Houston neighborhood
TMCNet.com

'Super WiFi' hotspot gives 3-mile range
TMCNet.com

Houston grandmother is nation's 1st 'Super Wi-Fi' user, thanks to Rice University
TheGadgetGuyColumn.com

4/19/2011
DSLReports.com, Houston grandma gives white space broadband a spin

4/18/2011
Houston Chronicle, Houston leads way in launching 'super WiFi'

10/15/2010
Free Press, Profs Bring Free White Space Broadband to Working Class Houston (MP3-audio) (PDF-text)
Interview with Free Press.

10/12/2010
Television Business, Rice University professors win grant to build 'WhiteFi' network (PDF-text)
Rice won a $1.8 million grant this summer from the National Science Foundation to expand Rice's free-to-use testbed network in east Houston from Wifi to white spaces. Edward Knightly, professor in electrical and computer engineering and computer science, is quoted.

10/11/2010
Arstechnica, Profs bring free "Super WiFi" to working-class Houston (PDF-text)
A couple dozen residents of the working-class Pecan Park neighborhood in Houston are about to do something few Americans have yet tried—access the Internet through a wireless connection that uses the empty TV-band "white spaces." And the federal government is picking up the tab.
(This article also appeared on Benton Foundation.)

10/1/2010
Electronic Design,Wi-Fi And White Space Combo Promises Better Broadband Wireless (PDF-text)
Bringing broadband connections to underserved areas is high on the agenda for the National Broadband Plan. Wireless is going to play a major role in filling this need. For example, Wi-Fi is a good possibility as it is inexpensive and widely available while offering very high data rates.

9/24/2010
Broadcast Engineering, Rice University to test FCC's white-space initiative (PDF-text)
Rice University professor Edward Knightly said they’ll make sure a frequency is free and clear to use before they send or receive signals over their “White-Fi” network.

9/23/2010
PCWorld, FCC Approves White Space "Wi-Fi on Steroids" (PDF-text)
With a unanimous, bipartisan vote of the FCC commissioners, the unused television broadcast spectrum has been unleashed for use in wireless networking.

9/23/2010
InformationWeek, FCC Approves 'White Spaces' (PDF-text)
Rice researchers have won a $1.8 million federal grant to test wireless technology that uses dormant television channels to deliver high-speed broadband Internet service. Edward Knightly, professor in electrical and computer engineering and computer science, is quoted.
(This article also appeared on TechWeb.com.)

9/22/2010
InformationWeek, FCC Hopes White Spaces Vote Appeases Critics (PDF-text)
With its National Broadband Plan and net neutrality efforts likely to remain bogged down in political infighting until after the November elections, the Federal Communications Commission is hoping its Thursday vote on white spaces spectrum will give it a victory and demonstrate that it can still deliver advanced technology for consumers while at the same time promoting business innovation.

9/21/2010
Rice Media, Rice University experts can discuss Thursday's FCC decision regarding use of 'white space' television spectrum (PDF-text) Two Rice University wireless communications experts are available to comment on the Federal Communications Commission's decision this Thursday regarding a proposed rule that would free up so-called "white space," portions of the radio spectrum that have previously been set aside for television broadcasts.

9/14/2010
Industry Week, FCC's approval of 'white spaces' could spark next technology revolution (PDF-text) Nearly two years ago, the Federal Communications Commission approved using of the "white space" spectrum to serve as free universal broadband access.

9/14/2010
Satellite TODAY, FCC Schedules 'White Space' Wi-Fi Spectrum Proposal Vote (PDF-text)

9/13/10
Information Week, FCC Expected To Approve White Spaces (PDF-text) After lying dormant for more than two years, the idea of using so-called "white spaces" spectrum for a sort of free universal broadband access is likely to be approved by the FCC at its September 23 meeting, but actual implementation of the Wi-Fi complementary technology will likely remain in limbo.

9/9/10
L'Atelier, Utiliser les fréquences TV délaissées pour étendre l'accès au web? (MP3-audio) (PDF-text) Pour développer les réseaux Internet et offrir un accès moins onéreux aux populations non desservies, pourquoi ne pas utiliser les "white space" des fréquences hertziennes ?

9/7/10
KUHF Radio, Rice University researchers have won a $1.8 million federal grant to test wireless technology that uses dormant television channels to deliver high-speed broadband internet service. KUHF Radio interview with Edward Knightly by Ed Mayberry. (MP3-audio) (PDF-text) The grant allows researchers to take advantage of new federal rules that allow the use of unused sections of the TV spectrum.

9/3/10
Before It's News, Melding Wi-Fi With Digital TV 'White Space'; Rice To Test Use Of TV Spectrum In TFA High-Speed Broadband Network

9/2/10
Melding Wi-Fi with Digital TV White Space to Meet Coverage, Capacity and Energy Efficiency Needs of Networks

9/2/10
PHYSORG.com, Melding WiFi with digital TV 'white space' (pdf)

9/2/10
Rice News, Melding Wi-Fi with digital TV 'white space' (pdf) Nearly two years ago, the Federal Communications Commission approved using of the "white space" spectrum to serve as free universal broadband access.

7/14/10
Embassy, Google says government should follow U.S. lead on unlicensed, 'white space' spectrum
Canada’s transition from analogue to digital television broadcasting next year will open up so-called “white space” spectrum that the U.S. has defined as unlicensed and, if Canada follows suit, could lead to innovations in wireless broadband, Jacob Glick, Google's Canadian policy counsel, told The Wire Report.

3/26/10
Technology For All: Connecting (pdf) What began as a chance meeting in Monterey, California ten years ago has resulted in personal and digital connections that have advanced wireless research and created an opportunity for four young people in a low-income Houston neighborhood to enjoy the NCAA Sweet 16 regionals in Houston this weekend.

10/2/08
ARS, Popping no-coverage bubbles in citywide WiFi networks (pdf) A Rice University graduate student working with advisors at his institution and Hewlett Packard developed and tested a technique that could dramatically improve how outdoor, metropolitan-scale WiFi networks are planned and deployed, while also reducing the cost and time involved in getting a network's footprint right.

9/30/08
Science Daily, Zeroing In On Wi-Fi 'Dead Zones' To Inexpensively Fill Gaps In Wireless Networks (pdf)

9/26/08
Daily India, Wi-Fi 'dead zones' may soon be history (pdf)

6/13/2008
iHealthBeat Audio Report: Project Tests Handheld Devices To Monitor Chronic Disease in Low-Income Area in Houston

6/5/2008
Rice Team Brings Wireless Internet to Houston Community

04/24/08:
Houston Public Radio: Federal Grant Funds Study on Wireless Health Monitoring (pdf)

04/11/08:
Rice News: Baker Institute digitally connected communities (pdf)

02/05/08:
KHOU 11: Bringing wireless Internet to the masses

08/29/07:
Fox 26 Houston: One East Houston Section Wi-Fi Friendly (video no longer available)

05/01/07:
Houston Chronicle: El uso de internet entre los hispanos de Houston (pdf)

04/04/07:
ABC13: Can Houston fit into an Internet bubble?

3/2007:
Univision Story

2/15/07:
Houston Chronicle: Wireless Project Breaks New Ground (pdf)