08 January 2019
The DSA has created a business model to enable regulators to authorise a customisable out-of-the-box solution that results in a faster and more efficient way to enable TVWS networks.
Could TVWS technology help bridge the digital divide that is still impacting billions of people across the world?
KALPAK GUDE explains why utilising white space and working to free-up licensing is essential for Africa’s future connectivity.
As an organisation that advocates for the increase of dynamic access to unused radio frequencies, the Dynamic Spectrum Alliance (DSA) has been very pleased to see a gradual uptake of conversion in recent years.
In Africa in particular, the kind of potential and freedom this access will herald is set to be monumental.
When it comes to TV white space (TVWS) technology, many pilot programmes and commercial deployments have gone forward.
According to TVWS specialist Carlson Wireless Technologies, while a traditional Wi-Fi router has a relatively limited range (around 100 metres under perfect conditions) and can be blocked by walls or other environmental barriers, white space technology can cover an expanse of about 10km in diameter – 100 times the distance. This breakthrough technology has been nicknamed ‘Super Wi-Fi’ because of its superior range and ability to penetrate obstacles such as trees, buildings and rough terrain.
More than 25 locations have taken part in trials and demonstrations showing the technical capabilities.
These deployments can be seen as the first winds of change which have brought cost-effective solutions to underserved areas.
The introduction of broadband connectivity to those that have been the most difficult to service has provided opportunities to many who had previously never imagined it.
We are seeing regulators in many countries around the globe now start the necessary process of adopting rules for TVWS.
This in turn will no doubt enable operators to make the necessary investments to serve these rural communities who for so long have either had no connections at all, or unreliable and unsteady access to broadband.
Certainty regarding the regulations is a necessary part of this process and thankfully looks like it is now starting to move forward.
Conversely, TVWS regulations are still new to most regulators and the challenge remains to convince many of its effectiveness and longevity.
Regulations often require setting up dynamic database systems that work to protect incumbent broadcast services and assign channels to permit sharing of the spectrum.
The DSA has created model rules in an effort to help regulators work through the new technology.
These rules give regulators the ability to benefit from the work of others around the world, as well as share the experiences from the many deployments that have successfully taken place to make TVWS implementation easier and quicker.
Mozambique’s communications regulatory authority, INCM, has recently used the DSA’s guidance and is now able to plan on issuing its own rules in months, rather than years.
More than 25 locations have taken part in trials and demonstrations showing TV white space technology’s technical capabilities in Africa. They include Botswana, Kenya (shown here), Namibia, among others.
This in turn will better enable the country’s operators to bring broadband connectivity to many who previously could not be served.
As DSA treasurer Mark Rotter has recently suggested, digital inclusion is also essential for driving economic development and enabling environmentally sustainable growth.
Progress is being made but there is still a long way to go before the digital divide is closed.
The DSA believes that one of the first steps should be utilising TVWS networks to lower the cost of access.
TVWS technology can bring connectivity today to those that are without and do it on a cost effective and sustainable basis.
It uses unused or underused broadcast spectrum on a secondary basis to bring broadband connectivity to areas where other technologies are not cost effective.
Changing the economics of rural deployment makes TVWS a financially attractive solution to solve one of the most intractable social issues of our time – how to bring opportunity to rural and economically underprivileged areas.
Furthermore, shortening the deployment time not only helps citizens sooner, but also lowers the cost of deployment making it possible for more operators to reach more people.
Today, broadcast spectrum throughout Africa remains highly under-utilised – and that was even before the transition to digital television which has enabled broadcasts to be delivered more efficiently and with less spectrum.
The digital dividend will no doubt free up even more spectrum as broadcasters continue to move to digital and are thus capable of delivering services using fewer frequencies.
This digital dividend will enable governments to auction some spectrum to mobile carriers.
However, it is important to recognise that more spectrum for mobile carriers will not solve the digital divide. Using broadcast spectrum for technologies such as TVWS, particularly in rural areas, is a critical part of the mission of improving the lives of their citizens that all governments share.
Regulators can use the model created by the DSA as rules for a customisable out-of-the-box solution that results in a faster and more efficient way to enable TVWS networks to be launched in their markets.
The digital dividend is set to improve many facets of African society as more people are connected.
Taking advantage of the leaps in technology is vital if countries are going to grow both in technological and financial terms.
For example, e-commerce is presently one of the most dynamic industries.
Africa has incredible potential in this sector but has been considered as lagging behind.
The reasons are myriad, but connectivity and poor internet speeds and reliability are some of the main reasons progress continues to elude those on the continent.
Research firm Statista backs this up.
It estimates that Africa’s e-commerce sector generated USD16.5bn in revenue in 2017 and forecasts revenues of USD29bn by 2022.
In order for this growth to continue, spectrum must be freed to let the people take advantage – with only 35 per cent of the continent’s citizens online, the opportunity for growth in this sector is enormous.
The people of Africa are ready to innovate now, and merely require the broadband infrastructure to do so.
It is down to operators and regulators to fashion a connected ecosystem in order for more to be done.
It is often said that Africa has leap-frogged the world in terms of being a mobile-first connected continent.
The first telemedicine network using TVWS spectrum was launched in Africa by the Botswana Innovation Hub in 2016. As part of a pilot, Project Kgolagano was used to provide internet connectivity and services to hospitals and clinics, enabling access to specialised medicine in Gaborone and other locations around the world. The project was officially launched at the Tsopeng clinic in Lobatse (main picture) where Adaptrum’s TVWS radios (inset) were installed.
That daring nature and willingness to embrace technology now needs to be matched by those who provide the means to free up spectrum for TVWS.
Project Isizwe is an example of one of these innovators.
Based in South Africa, the non-profit organisation works with the public and private sectors to bring connectivity to the lowest income communities in the country.
Some of the recent innovations that it has recently worked on include:
•Partnering with another project called Yes4Youth in connecting the first entrepreneurship hub in Tembisa.This provides free Wi-Fi use of the hub which features a content portal that allows entrepreneurs to advertise their businesses and curate local content
•A partnership with Glencore Mine to roll out free Wi-Fi hotspots in two mining towns in Witbank, Ogies and Phola This has established free Wi-Fi hotspots at a local school, a library, a community sportsfield as well as at the Phola and Ogies taxi ranks.
•Project Isizwe has also partnered with The Social Collective in Bushbuckridge and Botshabelo to launch a Free Wi-Fi Champions Programme. This aims to leverage the power of young, motivated individuals to share, activate and educate Wi-Fi users about this important service, creating employment opportunities.
•Another partnership has seen the project working with Amafreezone to enable the introduction of 15 hotspots in Durban and KwaMashu, 10 hotspots in Edenvale and five hotspots in Diepsloot, Alexandra and Sontonga Mall in Johannesburg.
•Working with Digital Village has also enabled the roll out of 130 hotspots in George
This kind of inspiring work is why the DSA continues to campaign for TVWS to be utilised fully and shows the true potential that exists within the unlocking of this underused resource.
