Of course, small operators will soon get a boost to their unlicensed spectrum options now that the Federal Communications Commission has approved unlicensed use of the so-called "" spectrum that are currently unused by television stations on the VHF and UHF frequency bands. Internet companies such as Google and device manufacturers such as Motorola have touted the use of white space spectrum as a way to quickly and cheaply offer mobile broadband capabilities to underserved regions of the United States.

But as with the other methods for delivering wireless broadband, the white space spectrum has some challenges. In the first place, any device operating on white space spectrum is required by the FCC to have sensing capabilities that would shut down the device if it comes into interference with broadcast spectrum. And from the perspective of handing out government grants, white space broadband networks aren't quite "shovel-ready" yet in the way that other wireless technologies are. Since the government only just approved unlicensed use of white spaces last year -- and since some television stations are still struggling to move off their analog networks -- it might be a while before white space broadband becomes a reality.

"There seems to be a lot of interest in developing technologies for white spaces," says Gartner analyst Akshay Sharma. "But we might be a few years away before you see any products."