Microsoft Plans to Use TV White Space Technology to Bring Internet to Millions in Rural America
Brad Smith, President, Microsoft
(Washington D.C., Tuesday, July 11, 2017) – Microsoft today announced plans to eliminate the gap in broadband internet access across the US. The company’s President, Brad Smith, launched the Rural Airband Initiative which sets the target of bringing broadband connectivity to two million people in rural America by 2022. 34 million Americans still lack broadband internet access, 23.4 million live in rural parts of the country.
Microsoft wants to use TV White Spaces technology which harnesses the unused spectrum between television broadcasts. The company is appealing to federal and state regulators to guarantee the use of unused television channels and investments in promoting the technology in rural areas.
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