The internet has come a long way from dial-up, but recent news indicates we might be close to a leap to the future. Wi-fi as we know it right now means dropped connections every few hours and  even spottier connections for anyone who’s using the internet on a college campus or public location. Whether it’s a daily internet fix or some important work, we’ve all looked a little ridiculous flailing our device around to catch a signal. 3G coverage is great, it’s more internet access than we’ve ever seen, and 4G is on its way, but for now there are a lot of people mourning over their tiny Wi-Fi icons, interrupted in the middle of some work or avoidance thereof.

Super Wi-Fi is the unexpected solution to the problem. The answer comes right from our TVs. Because TV has gone entirely digital, there’s plenty of airwaves between channels that are being used on nothing. They could, however, be used to carry Wi-Fi signals. In fact, ever since the digital TV’s birth, big names like Google have asked that these airwaves be used for Wi-Fi purposes. Not only would it increase the accessibility of Wi-Fi, but create stronger connections because the lower frequencies TVs use make for much stronger signals. The worry, however, is that this would interfere with the TV signals themselves. Precautions for this use of “white space” for Wi-Fi have been put into effect to make sure that one does not damage the other.

It sounds great, and better Wi-Fi means better functionality in plenty of areas. Hospitals, for example, benefit greatly from the more reliable signal. In a rare move of generosity, the FCC has approved of the plan to use their “white space” signals for Wi-Fi. The first area this public network has been made accessible to is Wilmington, North Carolina. While the project is in its infancy, success here could mean better Wi-Fi (or Wi-Fi at all) for everyone! Here's hoping things go well.

To learn more about Super Wi-Fi, check out Gizmodo's take and Network World's write-up.