Employing white spaces efficiently
White Space Technology: A Promising Solution for Rural Broadband and Machine-to-Machine Communications
White space technology, which utilizes unused TV broadcast frequencies, is gaining traction as a viable wireless broadband solution for rural areas and for machine-to-machine (M2M) communications. This technology offers an effective way to deliver internet over large distances with good penetration through obstacles, making it suitable for low-density, rural environments.
Rural Broadband Solutions
White space technologies have been proven in multiple projects worldwide to provide reliable rural broadband by repurposing unused TV frequencies. This can enable fixed wireless access, minimizing the need for costly fiber installation over vast territories. However, fixed wireless access based on other spectrum sharing models such as CBRS (Citizens Broadband Radio Service) around 3.5 GHz seems currently more dominant in the U.S., providing fiber-like speeds to over 3 million rural households and about 20% of all rural broadband connections.
Machine-to-Machine Communications
The characteristics of white space frequencies, with their good range and obstacle penetration, are beneficial for low-power M2M networks used in smart agriculture, remote monitoring, and IoT applications, especially across rural or industrial areas where wired infrastructure is sparse. These networks can complement emerging 5G and satellite connectivity by providing cost-effective, local wireless links with reasonable throughput for sensor data and device coordination.
Regulatory Frameworks
In countries like the United States, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has authorized the use of TV white spaces for unlicensed wireless broadband under strict regulations that manage interference with licensed users. Regulators typically enforce a geolocation database system that devices must query before transmission to identify available white space frequencies and power limits, ensuring coexistence. The regulatory environment is evolving globally, with ongoing efforts to open or expand the 600 MHz white space spectrum for broadband services.
Commercial Applications
Cambridge-based Neul unveiled a new transceiver chip based on the Weightless white space communications standard in February 2013. Microsoft is deploying white space networks in Kenya to deliver broadband access to schools, healthcare clinics, government offices, and directly to customers. Another trial in Cambridge city centre used white space technology to provide wireless broadband access to four pubs, a theatre, and exploited the technology's ability to support location-based services.
Future Outlook
William Webb, CTO of white space technology start-up Neul, predicts that the first commercial uses of white space for M2M may appear before the end of the year. The potential market for M2M communications could be huge, potentially resembling Apple's App Store in terms of growth. The UK government, through communications watchdog Ofcom, is taking steps to prevent devices from 'spoofing' their location to use spectrum that is either licensed or occupied.
In summary, white space technology remains a promising niche wireless broadband technology for rural areas and machine-to-machine communications, supported by evolving regulatory frameworks that balance spectrum sharing and interference protection. Its deployment complements other emerging solutions like CBRS-based fixed wireless access and satellite broadband, providing diverse options to close the rural digital divide.
Data-and-cloud-computing solutions can leverage white space technology for extended wireless connectivity, as it offers an effective way to deliver internet over large distances with good penetration through obstacles. This same technology, with its characteristics of good range and obstacle penetration, can also benefit machine-to-machine communications by supporting low-power networks used in smart agriculture, remote monitoring, and IoT applications.
