West Virginia University has tapped TV white spaces...

left empty when television stations moved to digital broadcasting into much-needed connectivity for students and the surrounding community,” said the university in a news release. The university will initially provide Wi-Fi at the public rapid transit platforms. AIR.U anticipates more campus and rural broadband deployments, the university said. “Innovative deployment of TV white spaces presents an exciting opportunity for underserved rural and low-income urban communities across the country,” said acting FCC Chairwoman Mignon Clyburn in a separate written statement. She praised the project leaders for “launching a unique pilot program that provides campus-wide Wi-Fi services using TV white space devices” that “will not only demonstrate how TV white space technologies can help bridge the digital divide, but also could offer valuable insights into how best to structure future deployments.” The consortium of AIR.U includes the United Negro College Fund, New England Board of Higher Education, Corp. for Education Network Initiatives in California, National Institute for Technology in Liberal Education and Gig.U. Founding partners include Microsoft, Google and the New America Foundation’s Open Technology Institute. Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., is “excited” by the announcement, he said in a written statement. “The lessons learned from this pilot project will be important as Congress continues to look for ways to expand broadband access and advance smart spectrum policy."