Arcata, Calif., February 7, 2012 – Rising tech entrepreneur Jim Carlson will discuss the disruptive potential of TV white space technology at Pacific Crest Securities’ 9^th annual Emerging Tech Summit in San Francisco Feb. 14.

Pacific Crest Securities, an investment bank focused exclusively on technology, hosts this invitation-only event to give institutional investors, venture capitalists, and business development representatives an opportunity to interact with strategic technology companies.

Pacific Crest named Carlson one of the top two “key technology disruptors within the communications industry to watch in 2012.” Recognized as an industry expert in the TV white space field, CEO Jim Carlson is sought after as a featured speaker and moderator at technology events worldwide. At the Emerging Tech Summit, Carlson will discuss TV white space as a new enabling technology for a “Wi-Fi Revolution.”

It is well known that the Internet has become a necessity in 21^st-Century culture. Yet, what is less known is that in the U.S. alone, more than 26 million rural Americans cannot access adequate broadband Internet service. The issues of rural connectivity are not unique to the US, but are an epidemic problem worldwide. TV white space technology is the long awaited solution that is both affordable and capable of overcoming the unique properties of rural deployments..

White space is the term for unused TV spectrum, made more plentiful when television broadcasts transitioned from analog to digital. Now the FCC has made this unlicensed spectrum available for broadband use. Recognizing the implications for rural use, Carlson began working with both government and industry to develop an infrastructure to leverage this valuable new resource.

Lying below 900 MHz, TV white space (TVWS) spectrum overcomes the unique problems of rural telecommunications – distance, terrain, and trees – and offers the first truly non-line-of-sight high-speed wireless Internet solution with wide coverage area potential.

In January 2011, Carlson became one of the first companies to provide a TVWS prototype point-to-multipoint radio and began trials in eight rural locations. Carlson teamed with spectrum-management database providers, Spectrum Bridge and Telcordia, to provide early TVWS service.

In late 2011, Carlson began designing and developing the first production TVWS radio in partnership with a U.K.-based venture-funded software company, Neul, Ltd,.. 

Before the product was even commercially available, Carlson accumulated more than 1000 orders for the radio from rural wireless Internet service providers (WISPs), public safety and transportation agencies, and others.  Carlson TVWS product has already been recognized with many industry awards including the Electronic Design Magazine Best Design of 2011 and the Utilities Telecom Council’s Best Wireless Equipment for Utilities. 

Microsoft estimates that the worldwide market for TVWS technology will be $3.9 - $7.3 billion per year over the next 15 years. And although rural broadband is arguably the most socially significant application of TVWS technology, other applications will also benefit greatly from its development, including smart-grid monitoring, asset tracking, telemetry, security systems, and traffic control, among others.

Carlson is well-positioned to make the most of the TVWS opportunity, with the experience, tactical partnerships, and pre-emptive technology to successfully deliver its market-disruptive product, the RuralConnect™ IP Generation II.

Carlson has an aggressive plan to establish production to meet expected demands, ramping up for another 2,500 units in the second round of production. At this unit size, Carlson can price client radios at around $540. Thereafter, production runs in multiples of 10,000 units will reduce costs significantly to allow the company to remain the TVWS market leader both domestically and internationally.

About Carlson

For more than a decade, Carlson has designed and developed products to deliver high-speed Internet and wireline-quality voice connectivity to rural communities and businesses with remote operations. Specializing in hard-to-reach regions, Carlson provides fixed-wireless systems using TV white-space and microwave technology to deliver full voice and data connections no matter how rugged the terrain. More than 20 million customers in nearly 200 communities, from the Arctic Circle to the jungles of Peru, rely on Carlson radios for their broadband needs, Carlson serves customers in the telecommunications, public safety and energy industries.

For more information go to www.CarlsonWireless.com or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .