In the beginning, creators that brought the Internet to life envisioned long-range high-speed wireless networks that would envelop whole cities or communities.

Last September that grand vision moved closer to becoming reality when the FCC opened up broadcast “white space” between TV channels to unlicensed wireless devices.

“Super Wi-Fi” was born.

The transition to all-digital TV broadcasting opened up the airwaves even more.

In July, the IEEE – standards organization responsible for all things Wi-Fi – officially published Wi-Fi’s next-gen standard, the IEEE 802.22.

We are inching closer to a world that has near-universal wireless high-speed Internet access.

Super Wi-Fi will bring superior qualities for broadband, more bandwidth in wide regional areas, superior range and coverage and greater signal penetration.

More 802.22 highlights

• Promises speeds up to 22Mbps to devices as far as 100km (about 62-miles) away from the nearest broadcast station (transmitter).
• Travels farther and more easily passes through walls and buildings.
• Dodges interference through smart broadcasting protocols that ensure there are no competing frequencies in the area, i.e. wireless mikes used in church services, sporting events, concerts.
• Uses advanced cognitive radio capabilities including “dynamic spectrum access” to automatically shift between traditional Wi-Fi and unused UHF digital TV channels to provide the best possible coverage.
• Incorporates accurate geolocation techniques. Compatible devices will be required to include geo-location hardware.

What does this mean for users?

It is broadband available wherever you are, in the air.

Videos without skipping. Music without interruption. Skype calls everywhere.

As long as you are within an hour’s drive of your house, you could use Super Wi-Fi to connect on the Internet, on your smart phone, tablet computer or laptop.

Leticia Aguirre, a 48-year old Houston grandmother, was the nation’s first user of “Super Wi-Fi” technology. The network she is a part of currently serves over 3,000 residents in east Houston.

What does this mean for broadcasters?

Some expect Super Wi-Fi to sync our car’s entertainment computer with our houses three years from now. Really? REALLY?

Media consultant Mark Ramsey offers an elegantly terse observation:

Conceivably, this could mean that all wireless devices are built for Wi-Fi, given a range and reliability that looks suspiciously like what we used to call “broadcast radio.”  Does that mean goodbye cellular?  Maybe.  Who needs it when your Wi-Fi has the same coverage as the TV station that used to occupy that frequency?

But what it certainly will mean is that the exclusivity rendered by broadcast signals will cease to exist. Broadcasters will win or lose not on the basis of owning all the audio real estate but by providing the best content in the best forms that the most consumers want to seek out and consume.

So what will it mean when every alternative to radio has the same potential ubiquity as radio enjoys?

It will mean that radio has to be really, really good. And really, really more than “radio.”

What does this mean for Christian broadcasters?

With more people connected wherever they go, more people can be reached with the gospel through a wireless experience and new forms of Christian media.

The road is being paved for a new generation of always on best-in-class Christian media brands and channels aimed at nonbelievers.

If you are local Christian broadcaster, what would you do if you could broadcast a television signal, without going to the FCC to obtain a license?

What if you had the ability to support your ministry and advertising customers with a data service connected to your community that would help you compete in the world of Hulu and Netflix?

The numbers of people tuning into a specific channel for a specific program is diminishing in the entertainment world. With faith-based programming, however, seekers have no knowledge of program names or personalities. This is an opportunity for Christian content producers to move toward channel-reliant programming not away from it.

Get ready

As with any technology still in development and being field-tested, there can be setbacks or potential flaws. And it is not clear how soon widespread rollout will occur. That is little reason to bash the viability of the new technology. A better investment of energy would be to ready your organization for near-universal access.

If you are interested in keeping track of the latest developments and opportunities, check out the upcoming Super Wi-Fi Summit, September 13-15, in Austin, TX.

Throughout the year, FCC Chairman Genachowski and fellow commissioners have said that white space devices could be on store shelves by the holiday shopping season, but there are always doubters.