JOURNAL OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS, VOLUME 28, ISSUE 1, NOVEMBER 2014

White Space Technology AS A Tool For

Bridging Digital Divide
L. Oborkhale and R. Akomodi
Abstract Over the years, Broadband has become increasingly central to the lives of consumers and the success of
businesses. Since through broadband connections, consumers are able to access and interact with a wide range of content,
services and businesses to exploit new market opportunities. There is growing need for wireless internet communication all
over. Due to some of the limitations of the current and dominant wireless internet communication technology which is the Wi-Fi
a vast regions of different countries are underserviced which are mainly rural areas with bad terrains, low population density or
non-commercial places. This paper is primarily aimed at looking at the viability of the TV White space technology as a new
possibility for rural broadband connection.
Index Terms broadband, digital divide, TV White space technology.

1. INTRODUCTION

nformation and Communication Technologies (ICTs)

has drastically changed the world in which we live in.
With increase in economic activities, knowledge sharing, entertainment, socialization etc, billions of people
around the world today are utilizing ICT to function in
real-time across the world without delay and with
blurred distinction between physical and digital experiences. These experiences are further enhanced by access
to mobile broadband networks where the limitations of
wire-line access are overcome by giving people the ability
to communicate anytime and anywhere. The entire idea
is the provision of improve mobile broadband, multimedia and internet access to end users (customers and citizens) [1].
There exist the context of digital divide, a gap between those who have access to information and communication Technology and the skills to make use of
these technology and those who do not have access or
necessary skills to use these same technologies [2]. This
creates both economic and social inequality between
groups of person. Although Digital Divide in itself is
more than just an access issue and cannot be alleviated by
merely providing the necessary equipment. Three factors
are usually put into consideration, these: information accessibility, information utilization and information receptiveness. The context of this work is centered more on
information accessibility; specifically broadband access to
unserved or underserved regions.
The question now is how do we reach this underserved population, so they can equally be connected to
the internet and share resources just like every other
user who already has access to the internet. The answer
simply is the use of unlicensed spectrum like TV white

space, unused channels in the broadcast television spectrum band. Many parts of the world have dozens of open
TV channels, especially in rural areas that can travel distances up to 10 miles (about 16 Km). Major telecommunication regulators in the world are providing path to allow
Wi-Fi to broadcast over unused TV channels.
White space could help bridge digital divide by
providing wireless internet to rural (underserved) areas
and help enable technological innovations.

2. WHAT IS WHITE SPACE TECHNOLOGY?

Detailed The International Telecommunication Union

(ITU) defines White Space as a composition of:
I.
Unallocated Spectrum
II.
Allocated and/or assigned, but under-utilized
spectrum
III.
Arises naturally between used channels as a result of interference avoidance (guard band); inherent aspect of radio-communications
IV.
Spectrum that is coming free as a result of TV
transmission digitalization (Digital Dividend)
According to The European Conference of Postal and
Teleecommunication Administration (CEPT), White
Space are part of the Spectrum, available for a radio
communication application (service, system) at a given
time in a given geographical area on a noninterfering/non-protected basis with regard to primary
and other services with higher priority on national basis.
(CEPT Report 24, June 2008) [3].
TV White Space on the other hand is identified as a portion of spectrum in a band allocated to the broadcasting
service and used for television broadcasting that is identified by an administration as available for wireless communication at a given time in a given geographical area

on a non-interfering and non-protected basis with regarto

L. I. Oborkhale is with the in the school of information, Technology and
computing at the American University of Nigeria, Yola, Nigeria ..
other services with a higher priority on a national basis.
Richard Adinoyi Akomodi a Network Engineer at the American Universi- TV White Spaces represents the first significant increase
ty of Nigeria, Yola, Nigeria..
in unlicensed spectrum below 1GHz. FCC established

the TV White space rules by which unlicensed devices,

called TV Broadband Devices (TVBDs), can make use
of specific TV channels in the Very High Frequency
(VHF) and Ultra High frequency (UHF) bands. There are
different approaches currently being reviewed on TV
White Spaces; ranging from operational and technical
aspects of accessing varying degrees of idleness of UHF
television spectrum to areas concern with long-term international planning of the UHF spectrum resources.
Overall, these approaches are intended to improve the
efficiency of the spectrum resources in use by accessing
idle spectrum to deliver low-cost user applications
and/or plan a harmonized spectrum use from which
economies of scale can be obtained.
These TV spectrums with advantageous propagation
properties inherent in UHF spectrum have been identified
as alternatives for providing commercial wireless services. Some of the wireless technologies that are being
explored in TVWS include low-power systems, M2M
communication devices and low power wireless broadband applications with emphasis made on the longer
coverage achievable with UHF spectrum [4].

4. WHERE ARE THESE WHITE SPACES IN THE

SPECTRUM? (IDENTIFYING AVAILABLE
TVWS)
As mentioned earlier in the definition of TVWS, there
are different ways in which we can identify the availability of TVWS base on location. It is note-worthy that the
amount of TVWS spectrum available can vary significantly across different locations and will invariably depend
on various factors which include: geography (terrain),
level of interference specifically to other TV broadcasting
services, TV coverage objectives & planning and TV
channels utilization. TVWS availability can fairly be categorized as follows:
I.
Frequency: Idle channels of a TV band plan in
some geographical areas due to interference avoidance
techniques by means of frequency separation (guard
channels).
Instances in this case are linked with legacy analogue
TV broadcast. Where digital terrestrial television exist,
frequency selection cases of TVWS can be found less often
if the digital broadcasting network uses the adjacent
channel rejection capabilities of the digital technology.
Less guard channels would be available.

3. AN OVERVIEW OF SPECTRUM AND WHY

IT MATTERS
Spectrum (electromagnetic Spectrum) is the resource
that allows us to send wireless signals. Virtually all electronic devices we use today (e.g. FM radio, TV remotes,
smart phones) uses spectrum frequencies to transmit
wireless signals and information. Wireless communication would be impossible without spectrum. Different
ranges of spectrum are available and used for different
purposes in different places. Some parts of the spectrum
are reserved for specific technologies. Broadcast TV and
mobile telephone services need exclusive access through a
license to part of spectrum in order to avoid conflicting
signals. Unrestricted or unlicensed spectrum allows much
of our day-to-day technology like wireless routers or remotes to share and make the most out of spectrum [5].
As a network capacity gets eaten up by more subscribers and their increase usage level, more spectrums will
need to be in the market to cope with future growth. At
points like this where capacity gets eaten up, operators
have few options to consider:

Operators may cell spilt

Off load data traffics from their networks onto

Wi-Fi (Wi-Fi offload)

May adopt the use of smaller cell technologies

e.g. femto-cells.

May use better improve technology radio channel air interfaces like 3G, 3.5G and 4G.
If all of these are done and problems still persist, then
operators are left with no other options than to go for
more spectrums; typically via a competitive spectrum
auction. Spectrum is a globally finite resource. Its demand
is growing; more people, more devices need spectrum.
The availability of spectrum can allow people to share;
hence technology and devices get connected.

II.
Height: this tries to explain the availability of
TVWS at a given region in terms of the height of TVWS
antenna height and its transmission site, in relation to
surrounding TV broadcasting coverage reception. Thus,
the higher TVWS Antenna/transmission site, the higher
the likelihood of signal reception TVWS devices in surrounding areas and this can be conducive to a situation
where a potential level of harmful interference could
reach the primary broadcasting service. In such conditions of higher interference probability, TVWS devices
would then be unable to operate using incumbent TV
frequencies.
III. Space: geographical areas that are outside the
current TV coverage, which means there is no broadcasting signal currently at such locations. There are also some
geographical separation areas (planned) between locations using the same TV channels.
As in case I above, there is also the use of digital TV
systems which permits the use of Single Frequency
Networks (SFN); here several transmitters can use the
same frequency channels without interference. The increase use of SFN is gradually becoming a key element
in frequency planning of television broadcasting to enable
the allocation of digital dividends(s) to mobile services.
Thus, a channel that may be available at one time for
TVWS may become unusable as a result of the introduction of new TV transmitter in the same SFN.
There are also instances where complete idleness of TV
frequency bands can be found available in large blocks of
the UHF spectrum and not the sporadic smaller spectrum
gaps identified for use on shared basis in an opportunistic
way by TVWS devices. These usually occurs where we
have low levels of terrestrial television demand which
are occurrences in low population density areas (rural
areas) or in developed urban regions where TV broadcast has been dominated by subscription services (e.g.

cable, fiber, IPTV and satellite TV). Thus there is a faceout of free-to-air UHF terrestrial television.

emerging economies who now embrace and benefit from

the use of wireless broadband communication, which
provides a more affordable and flexible alternative for
providing internet access to citizens thereby reducing the
digital divide. These leads to more demand for radio
spectrum (resource that aids wireless communication).

HOW WHITE SPACE TECHNOLOGY WORKS

Figure 1: Showing White Spaces in the US.

Source: Julius Knapp, FCC. Policy Issues for Telecommunication Reform, Aspen Institute (2006)

FACTORS THAT DRIVES RESEARCH ON ALTERNATIVE SPECTRUM UTILIZATION

The ever increasing demand for wireless connectivity
(as shown in the figure below) by end users and devices
has led to research on alternative form of spectrum utilization. ICT now plays a vital role in human endeavor
in various fields such as medicine, education, security,
finance, media and entertainment amongst others. ICT
continues to revolutionize economic growth and social
development. ICT have been acknowledged internationally within the targets of the UN Millennium Development Goals [6]. It sees capacity as a means to alleviate
poverty, enhance better education and health delivery
and also empower citizens.

The technology and standard are still being developed

but are based on the IEEE 802.22 which has specifications
on use of low power and cognitive radio; though apps for
rural geographies might rely on higher power devices.
The technology would make use of gaps called White
Spaces that sits in the frequency bands used to broadcast
digital terrestrial TV. It is possible some of these gaps
would be used by other applications e.g. wireless microphones but only at certain times not always.
White Space Devices (WSD) would access the spaces at
times when theyre idle. It would do this by communicating with their location database specially designed to
minimize the risk of interference with any existing users.
This is a creative way to get the most from spectrum (the
vital but finite resource that supports all wireless technology).
The amount of White Space available depends on location, the power level of devices and the time of the day
for which the White Space spectrum is being accessed.
White Space differs from other radio spectrum technology; it will be available to use on a license-exempt basis,
potentially allowing for fast take-up and innovation by
manufacturers.

WHITE SPACE TECHNOLOGY TRIALS AND

CHALLENGES

Figure 2: Global ICT Developments, 2001-2013. Source:

ITU
Considering the sharp rise in the demand for connectivity, it is no surprise theres also high demand for radio
spectrum for wireless communication. Though the level
of spectrum demand vary across different regions depending on factors such as population density and the
scale of development of broadband fixed networks, the
rise of advanced consumer mobile devices and data demanding mobile applications has considerably increased
the usage of bandwidth in mobile spectrum bands in both
carrier-grade level mobile networks (i.e. 3G & 4G networks) and license-exempt [7] local area networks (e.g.
Wi-Fi access). Again this growth has been extended by

Successful trials have been conducted in developed

and developing countries across the world. British Telecom (BT), Microsoft, Google and other ICT companies
have carried out successful trials on this prospective next
wave of wireless innovation [8].
In Africa, Microsoft have conducted some pilot projects in Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi and South Africa and
has proved it worth especially its role in helping to reduce the cost of broadband access for the underserved, a
good reason to bridge the digital divide. Through this
pilot project in Africa, Microsoft has proven that White
Space technology is not limited to servicing single
buildings or campuses but is scalable; with solar powered
base stations trials in Kenya, it was able to achieve connectivity across a 13Km range.
As interesting as this innovation could be, in places
like Africa and other developing economy there are challenges which has thwarted the full implementation of
this technology. These include:
1.
Lack of funding/sponsorship from industries
(private and public sector) and the government: this is
due to the fact that most telecommunication companies
are only involved inusing well known technologies and
are rarely ready for Research and Development.
2.
The absence of regulatory framework on the use

of white Space technology. For this reason, industries do

not see business opportunities in this technology.
3.
Standardization: Still an issue that hinges on the
regulators; theres absence of equipment standards and
specifications for white space devices.

WHY IS TV WHITE SPACE SO ATTRACTIVE?

TV white spaces have potentials that can satisfy the
appetite of wireless connectivity [9]. It can help emerging
markets like Africa to satisfy their need for broadband
connectivity (wireless internet) especially to rural parts of
the continent. White space stands to maximize spectrum
efficiency below 5GHz (especially below 1GHz). Some of
the major reasons why TV White Space is important and
attractive (especially to Africa and some other emerging
market) are:
Coverage and Affordability:
This assesses the capability to provide widest possible
coverage of broadband at affordable prices. A possible
speed of 2Mbps+ within distance of 10Km. According to
Garnett [10], one of the key benefits of White Space technology is that it is affordable for providers to roll out and
operate. Invariably, cheap services can be offered to lowincome internet users. He further asserted that in places
like Africa, the bandwidth may not be as fast as one offered by the conventional mobile operators, but it provides access for those who would never be able to afford
it.
Little Opportunity Cost:
There is little opportunity cost for this to happen in African countries, as most UHF may be free anyway; courtesy of the digital switchover which will see the clearing
of analogue transmission spectrum.
Overarching African challenges:
There is an overarching African challenges: Size of the
continent, its population distribution and the fact that a
large population live in the rural regions. TV White Space
promises to proffer solution to these challenges.
Socioeconomic Benefits:
White Space technology can help maximize the socioeconomic value in addition to the environmental benefits
that can be generated through the use of radio spectrum.
It also fits with the socio-economic agenda of most governments.
New spectrum for Broadband:
Thanks to the digital switch over, it frees up space (as
new spectrum) for broadband. Makes maximum use of
sweet spot spectrum (i.e. the UHF spectrum). This results
to the maximum utilization of the finite resource (spectrum).
Among other attractive benefits are Wireless Innovation, dynamic spectrum management and spectrum sharing, internet of everything, increased consumer choice,
control and flexibility, and an attractive technology enabler with low cost of entry.

CONCLUSION
White Space technology especially the use of TV White
Space seeks to implement an alternative wireless broadband connectivity, operating on secondary basis within
the UHF television spectrum bands. There has been evaluation of different regulatory approaches with the aim of
ensuring a rational, equitable, efficient and economical
use of this important resource on the radio spectrum.
Much of the benefit is what we see in developing
economy where vast inhabitants live in the rural or poor
urban areas, classified as underserved regions. With
White Space technology, there would be available spectrum (in UHF) which serves as a sweet spot for wireless
communication. Some of these spectrums which would
come from Digital Dividend as the next decades would
experience a lot of digital switchover. White Space would
harness the use of these available spectrums to spur a
technology that would allow people who live in the underserved regions to have access to the internet. Despite
the little challenges that comes with the exploration of
this virgin technology, it would go a long way not only
in maximizing the available spectrum resource, but also
in bridging the digital divide.
It is therefore expedient that industries, government,
and stakeholders in ICT embrace this technological innovation and put in place necessary infrastructures to ensure full operation of this technology. There should be a
working regulation, sponsorship for more Research and
Development and better enlightenment of consumersand
citizens (end users).

REFERENCES
[1]

[2]

N. H. Sama (2014), Telecommunications, Media & Technology

(TMT) for Developing Economies: How to make TMT Improve De-
veloping Economies in Africa and Elsewhere for the 2020s, Lon-
don: Gigalen Press.

A. Acilar, Exploring the Aspects of Digital Divide in a Developing Country. Issues in Informing Science and Information
Technology, Volume 8, 2011.

[3]

ITU-R SG 1/WP 1B WORKSHOP, SPECTRUM MANAGEMENT

ISSUES ON THE USE OF WHITE SPACES BY COGNITIVE RADIO
SYSTEMS (Geneva, 20 January 2014) pg. 7

[4]

Machine-to-Machine (M2M). A technical paper on M2M:

http://www.itu.int/pub/T-TUT-IOT and http://www.itu.int/en/ITUT/focusgroups/m2m/Pages/default.aspx

[5]

The Future Role of Spectrum Sharing for Mobile and Wireless Data
Services: Licensed Sharing, Wi-Fi, and Dynamic Spectrum Access.
OFCOM publication. 30 April, 2014.

[6]

The role of ICTs in achieving the UN Millennium Development

Goals:
http://www.itu.int/wsis/documents/background.asp?lang=en&t
heme=im

[7]

Wireless devices that operate in the license exempt bands can operate without being permitted a license of use by relevant Regulatory
Organization. https://www.4gon.co.uk/solutions/glossary.php

[8]

Ofcom Unveils Participants in Wireless Innovation Trial.

http://media.ofcom.org.uk/news/2013/ofcom-unveilsparticipants-in-wireless-innovation-trial/

[9]

J. Butler. TV White Space Devices and Beyond!. Ofcom

Presentation. http://www.oecd.org/sti/broadband/49435354.pdf

[10] Africa can Accelrate Global Tech Through White Spaces Microsoft
4Afrika. http://www.humanipo.com/news/44314/africa-canaccelerate-global-tech-through-white-spaces-microsoft-4afrika/

Engineer Lawrence Idemudia Oborkhale (PhD) is an assistant

professor in the school of information, Technology and computing
at the American University of Nigeria, Yola, Nigeria He hold a Ph.D
in Communication Engineering, Master of Engineering (M.Eng.) in
Telecommunication and Electronics Engineering and Bachelor of
.Engineering(B.Eng.) in Electrical Engineering with control and Computer option. He is a member of IEEE and Nigerian Society of Engineers. His area of interest is Quality of service (QoS) provisioning,
evaluation and management in telecommunication network systems
and services. He has written numerous papers in digital communications, Wireless Networks: planning, design and performance evaluation in mobile and ad hoc networks.
Richard Adinoyi Akomodi is a Network Engineer at the American
University of Nigeria. Obtained his B.Sc. in Computer Science from
the University of Jos, Nigeria. Currently pursuing a Master of Technology degree in Telecommunications and Wireless Technology at
the American University of Nigeria. His research interest includes
Telecommunications Technologies, Next Generation Wireless Networks, Data/Computer Networks and Security.