Some of you will know exactly what the FCC’s ‘white space spectrum’ headline means; most of you will probably have no idea what it means. All of you, however, should be interested in what it means. Why? Tuesday’s decision from the FCC is a proverbial green light to cultivate a whole new means of digital information delivery, like television, radio, and Internet connectivity.

If you happen to own Voyant (VOYT) shares, this is compelling news. However, it’s equally compelling if you also happen to own Google, Motorola, Dell, or Hewlett-Packard….all of those have an interest in advancing white space technology as well.

Here’s the deal - for those of you 40 years old or older, you’ll remember there was a point in time when there was no ‘cable’ television. You got true ‘channels’, where the number of the station was also the radio frequency of the broadcast. The channel numbers ran from 2 all the way up to 51. Well, channels 2 through 20 are still reserved for broadcast, even though using air waves is almost a thing of the past. Channels 20 through 51 though, they’re no longer used by anybody….but the FCC still regulates them.

Since radio frequency ‘real estate’ isn’t infinite, some new players recognized that UHF channels 20 through 52 are the only opportunity to establish new communication lines. The cool part is, modern technology can use these channels not just for television broadcasts, but for any digital message. THIS INCLUDES INTERNET, RADIO, SOME TELEPHONY, and of course, DIGITAL TV.

See the reason for the interest? This is a whole new playground that virtually anybody can enter; there won’t be conflicting or overlapping channels to limit competition.

Better still, it’s not like there are merely 32 channels up for grabs here. Digital equipment can be tuned to receive and transmit at fractional frequencies….like 20.1, 20.2, 20.3, and so on. I don’t know how many actual ‘channels’ can be set up, but I think it numbers in the thousands. In short, there’s really no limit now to what can be done, if it’s digital.

Now, I said all that to reiterate something we haven’t mentioned in a while - Voyant is jockeying to establish a major presence in the white space spectrum. They’re already building $2 million worth of white space frequency radios, but their technology could be adapted to use for WiFi purposes, or wireless communications. 

They’ve also been quietly developing Voyant Productions - the entertainment arm of the company. If you can control the delivery method, why not generate revenue by offering what’s delivered? This may eventually mean movie/television production and distribution.

Anyway, the FCC has officially opened up those white space channels for this kind of use. I thought it was a ‘done deal’ in the summer, but a few groups balked at the decision, and managed to get it delayed. The opponents were just groups that had something to lose though, like market share. The FCC is pro-competition though (usually), so this outcome was inevitable.

It’s good news for Voyant International and any VOYT shareholders. It won’t put money in the bank immediately, but this is a big victory that could open the door to literally millions of dollars.

I’ll let you know more when I know more.

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