Nigerian Journal of Technology (NIJOTECH)

Vol. 34 No. 3, July 2015, pp. 556 – 563

Copyright© Faculty of Engineering,
University of Nigeria, Nsukka, ISSN: 0331-8443
www.nijotech.com
http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/njt.v34i3.19

RECENT TRENDS ON TV WHITE SPACE DEPLOYMENTS IN AFRICA

I. Opawoye1, N. Faruk2,*, O.W Bello3 and A. A. Ayeni4

1, 3 DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATION SCIENCE, UNIVERSITY OF ILORIN, ILORIN, KWARA STATE. NIGERIA

2DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION SCIENCE, UNIVERSITY OF ILORIN, ILORIN, KWARA STATE. NIGERIA

4DEPT. OF MATHEMATICS AND INFORMATION SCIENCE, NORTHUMBRIA UNIVERSITY, NEWCASTLE, UNITED KINGDOM

Email addresses: [email protected], [email protected], 3 [email protected],

4 [email protected]

ABSTRACT
In this paper, we presented the effects of Television White Space (TVWS) on digital divide in Africa. The trends in
digital divide are found to be wide in most African countries, which are characterized with low internet penetration.
penetration.
Perhaps this is expected because over 60 % of people in Africa reside in the rural area and these areas are
characterized with low literacy, poverty level and limited telecommunication infrastructure supports. There have
been research efforts aand
nd regulations towards the secondary use of TV frequencies. However, findings indicate that
there are limited opportunities for such system in Europe: This is due to high internet penetration in Europe, but the
partt of the world like in Africa. Therefore, the TVWS could be used to provide
situation may be quite different in other par
affordable universal access in rural Africa. The paper also presents some benefits developing countries in Africa will
incur from utilizing the TVWS solution. Also, recent trend in the deployment of TVWS and experiences got from
African countries that embrace the solution are presented.

Keywords — TV White space, digital divide, IEEE802.22 WRAN, Africa and Internet

1. INTRODUCTION with the aim of getting Africa closer to the digital

Information is power, and before mobiles came along, divide. There have been tremendous increases in the
access to data was limited for millions of Africans [1]. rate of internet users in Africa in the last 9 years from
While the developed world tends to take the internet 2% to 16%. This phenomenon clearly shows Africa is
for granted, there are plenty of people in Africa who taking a major step towards reaching the digital divide.
have never felt the click of a mouse button or watched When you consider that just 1% owned a mobile in
a video on YouTube [2]. Africa’s telecommunications 2000, the rate of growth seems all the more
market is still at its early phase of development, astonishing. There are now more than 35 mobile
simultaneously, undergoing a rapid growth rate than network operators in Africa extending their base
the rest of the world. The continent's 650 million station networks to improve coverage [1].
mobile phone subscribers even outnumber those in the Digital divide is the gap that is used to denote between
U.S. and Europe [2]. With this growth comes several the persons or countries that have ready access to
wireless communication system and smart phones. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and
With Only 7 percent (7%) of local households have the sufficient skills to make use of those technology and
Internet access, most of which can be found in South those who have no skills to make use of the same
Africa, the 15th largest telecoms market in the world as technology within a given area. Digital divide is subject
at 2012 [2]. Mobile telephony in the early 2000s in to information utilization, information accessibility,
Africa has been growing and is more widespread than and information receptiveness. Internet users are
the traditional fixed line telephony. African’s people utilizing the internet in the last 12 months from
telecommunication companies are envisaging any device, including mobile phones whereas
providing broadband internet access devices as means penetration is the percentage of a country's population
to facilitate an increase in internet penetration in Africa that is internet users.

*Corresponding author, Tel: +234-803-242-8141

 RECENT TREND ON TV WHITE SPACE DEPLOYMENTS
EPLOYMENTS IN AFRICAI. Opawoye,
Opawoye, et al

Rwanda is the lowest as seen from above. Nigeria

shows a tremendous increase from 0.06 to 32.88%
along with Cape Verde. The major users that
contributed to the above are the people living in the
urban compare to the rural areas. Telecommunication
companies in Africa are envisaging Broadband
Wireless Internet Access technologies as the significant
means to make Internet access available to the
population at large. Projects are being completed that
aim at the realization of Internet backbones, that might
help cut the cost of bandwidth in African countries. A
good example is TVWS. While Global system for mobile
communication (GSM) operators in Africa are thinking
Fig.1. Internet penetration in 2012 [3] of rolling out high speed cellular broadband so as to
Table 1. Internet users by region: Data source [4] make available internet access to uncovered areas and
Year→ 2005 2010 2013 complement increase in internet penetration, several
Region↓ (%) (%) (%) ICT companies are in support of bridging the gap
Africa 2 10 16 between digital divide. Microsoft, Google amongst
Americas 36 49 61 others have looked for an alternative and cost effective
Arab States 8 26 38 mechanism to bring broadband to rural and other
Asia and Pacific 9 23 32 unconnected communities. It is using the so-called TV
Common wealth of white spaces, those unused parts of the wireless
10 34 52
Independent States spectrum usually used for television, to provide
Europe 46 67 75 internet connectivity [1].
Estimate is based on internet users per 100
inhabitants Table 2. Internet penetrations in Africa: Data
source [4]
Mobile-cellular Telephone Penetration
Subscriptions (%)
Country
Year Year
2000 2012 2000 2012
Algeria 86,000 37,527,703 0.49 15.23
Angola 350,000 12,785,109 0.11 16.94
Cape
19,729 425,310 1.82 34.74
Verde
Ghana 130,045 25,618,427 0.15 17.11
Malawi 49,000 4,646,894 0.13 4.25
Nigeria 30,000 112,777,785 0.06 32.88
Rwanda 39,000 5,690,751 0.06 8.02
South
8,339,000 68,394,000 5.35 41.0
Africa
Kenya 127,404 30,731,754 0.32 32.10
Egypt 1,359,900 96,798,801 0.64 44.07
Fig.2. Cross country of internet penetration: Data
source [4] 2. WHY TV WHITE SPACE?
Considering the low internet penetration as well as the
Table 2 gives a list of the cellular Mobile telephone unevenly internet access distribution among countries
subscriptions and percentage of individuals’ using the in Africa. Digital divide has caused some countries to
internet in Africa in the year 2000 and 2012 by lag behind in technology (even newer technology),
International Telecommunication Union (ITU). From democracy, labour and tourism. Furthermore,
Table 2, it can be seen that there has been a huge obstacles to low internet users in Africa includes low
increase in the mobile Cellular telephone subscriptions computer literacy level, limited telecommunications
and internet users in Africa. Egypt leads the chart while infrastructures, sustainable energy and most especially

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high cost of internet services. So many inhabitants in space devices will have the flexibility to sense, operate
this region have little to spend on food than buying data and log on to unused TV White Space channels. This is
cap for connectivity to the internet. If internet use possible with the use of a database that houses unused
proliferates in Africa at the rate mobile phones did in channels called geo-location database technology.
the early 2000s, the continent stands to add as much as What we are saying in essence is that, TV white spaces
$300 billion to its economic growth by 2025 [1]. Hence are very large, dormant spectrum resource that
the question is, how can TVWS reduce digital divide operator could benefit from providing low cost
and increase internet penetration? communications. Creating new technologies that will
work with this TVWS spectrum with the motive of
The values from Table 2 is without the exploitation of bridging the gap between digital divide for generations
TVWS, if TVWS could be exploited to serve the rural to come. Fig.4 shows a proposed TVWS architecture to
areas, and because of its ability to travel far and be deployed in Kenya by Google
reduced cost in communication, then there would be a
tremendous increase on the individuals using the
internet in Africa.
However, this paper aims at envisaging the effects
TVWS will bring in bridging the gap of digital divide
which is a function of the low internet penetration in
Africa, complementing the aim of connecting the
people in the rural areas with the utilization of the
vacant spectrum to provide low cost broadband
internet service. Please note that TVWS is not wiping
out the incumbent operators, but, to complement in
bridging the gap in the global digital divide.

2.1. What is TV White Space?

TV White spaces are vacant, unused or interleaved
frequencies located between broadcast TV channels in
the Very High Frequency / Ultra High Frequency
(VHF/UHF) range, which can be found between 54
MHz and 806 MHz [5]. The VHF range includes
channels two to thirteen (2 – 13), located between 30
and 300 MHz on the electromagnetic spectrum, while
the UHF range includes channels fourteen to fifty one (
14 – 51), located at 300 MHz and above [5]. The merit Fig.3. Frequency allocation bands [6]
of propagating at lower frequency is that lower
frequencies propagate better over distance and 2.2 The Significant Benefit that TVWS will bring in
through walls. However the demerit is issue with Bridging the Gap of Digital Divide in Africa
capacity. It does not carry many users as it propagates. For Africa, it seems, necessity may be the mother of
The systems operating in the TV bands are analogue TV invention, but technology is its father [1]. TVWS is an
with sensitivity value of -94 dBm, digital TV with invaluable technology system that could foster the
sensitivity of -116dBm and wireless microphone with - development of Africa’s ICT connectivity. When TVWS
107 dBm [7]. In this regard, Federal Communications connectivity is achieved in most African countries, it
Commission (FCC) in the United States announced a could supplement end to end broadband internet
threshold of -114 dBm as the criteria for TVWS [8]. The access coverage of rural and some parts of urban areas
logic behind this is to utilize the unused spectrum of the in Africa. Internet penetration would improve causing
incumbent systems for secondary access so that white reduction in bridging the gap of digital divide.
space devices with low power can utilize this spectrum Information professionals need to teach young people
without causing interference with the incumbent how make to make efficient use of TVWS devices and
systems. The unused Broadcast TV channels vary understand their potential.
sparingly from one location to another. The TV White

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2.2.2. The potential benefits are as follows:

2.2.21.. Rural and Urban Broadband Deployment:
2.2.21
The highly favorable propagation characteristics of the
TV broadcast spectrum (as compared to unlicensed 2.4
or 5 GHz bands) allow for wireless broadband
deployment with greater range of operation (including
the ability to pass through buildings, weather, and
foliage) at lower power levels. Thus, the TVWS could be
used to provide better broadband service in less
densely populated areas. Hundreds of urban centers
across the nation are already deploying first generation
wireless local area networks to provide broadband
access to residents. Use of the TVWS for such municipal
broadband networks could increase the quality of
service and decrease the deployment costs for these
Fig.4. Proposed TVWS deployment Architecture in networks.
Africa [9]
2.2.2.2 Public Safety Communication:
Some African countries such as Kenya, South Africa, Public agencies can have access to spectrum in the TV
Malawi and Tanzania have undergone pilot project on band; this would improve the capacity and quality of
TVWS to bring broadband internet access to the rural their networks, as well as facilitate their expanded use
areas. Ten schools in the Cape Town area in South for e-government and consumer services. In
Africa have been connected to the Internet at speeds of emergencies, the TVWS can also provide
4 MB/s using unused UHF spectrum between 480 MHz supplementary services to augment public safety
and 690 MHz of the TV bands [10]. Since the major communications.
problem in Africa is sustainable energy, the TV white
spaces pilot will use solar-powered base stations to 2.2.2.3. Education and Enterprise Video Conferencing:
deliver the broadband internet as well as enabling new The TVWS could be used to give local high schools and
opportunities for education, commerce, delivery of middle-schools the same multimedia capabilities
government services such as TETRA (Truncated available to major university campuses: mobile, high-
Terrestrial Radio) which is used for emergency speed Internet access for every student and teacher
purposes and also supporting in the area of healthcare with a laptop or portable wireless device.
services.
The TVWS occupy a spot in the TV band delivering 2.2.2.4. Personal Consumer Applications:
broadband to challenging rural areas and also making TVWS could be used to provide new services and
patchy urban Wi-Fi network seamless. What we are applications to consumers by taking advantage of the
saying in essence is that, the incumbent operator could improved signal reliability, capacity, and range of the
incorporate TVWS spectrum to provide seamless TV broadcast spectrum. Wireless local area networks
connectivity to areas with limited connectivity. using low power and battery operated devices could
According to [10], a TVWS network in the UHF band of enable new communications technologies that bring
TVWS (600MHz) operating at the same power levels as safety, convenience, and comfort to consumers in their
current Wi-Fi devices (40 or 100 mW) needs around homes.
16 times fewer access point to deliver the same
coverage as Wi-Fi in 2GHz.This technology is well Ad--Hoc Networks:
2.2.2.5: Mesh and Ad
suited to provide low cost communication to rural The TV white spaces could be used to enhance mesh
communities with poor telecommunications networking. Self-configuring, ad-hoc mesh wireless
infrastructure [11]. Other research works that aims to networks avoid disruption or failure by re-routing
exploit TVWS in Africa are presented in [12] [13] [14] around node failures or congestion areas, thereby
and [15]. enabling more robust and reliable communications.
Mesh networks could be used as backhauls to provide
Internet connectivity.

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2.2.2.6: Security Applications:

Applications: in spectrum availability. But if TVWS spectrum is
The favorable propagation and bandwidth designed to be used for indoor deployment, that means
characteristics of the TV broadcast spectrum could low power base stations will be used, then the
enable enhanced video security applications for secondary usage will cause interference in limited
commercial, residential, and government purposes. areas resulting into enormous available channels.
Some examples of security applications using the white Another concern is the usage of the newer
space devices include perimeter video surveillance, technologies. The target audience needs information
robust wireless secure area monitoring, and childcare professionals to teach them how to use these
monitoring in the home or in childcare facilities. technologies irrespective of the gender, income or
traits. If there are no credible information
2.2.2.7. Reduction in Energy Consumption:
Consumption professionals and new technologies are being
The highly favorable propagation characteristics of the deployed, digital divide is finding its way back to the
TV broadcast spectrum allow for wireless broadband continent.
deployment with greater range at lower transmits
power levels. This could, therefore, reduce the number 3. COGNITIVE RADIO (CR) STANDARDS AND ACCESS
of cell/sites needed to cover a geographical area as TECHNIQUES FOR TVWS
compared with the conventional High Speed Packet 3.1. The IEEE 802.22 Wireless
Wireless Regional Area Networks
Downlink Access (HSPDA), Wide Code Division (WRAN)
Multiple Access (WCDMA) and Worldwide According to [17], IEEE announced the publication of
Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) the 802.22 standard, which ultimately aims to provide
systems and subsequently reduce the energy broadband internet access to wide areas around the
consumption. world, and thus, bringing along reliable and secure high
speed communications to rural and even urban
2.3. Challenges of TVWS to internet penetration in communities. IEEE802.22 WRAN standard which
Africa stands for Wireless Regional Area Networks (WRANs),
Despite the benefits TV White space could provide, and takes merit of the considerable transmission
there have been criticisms whether TVWS will provide characteristics of the UHF and VHF TV bands to provide
a better coverage as its licensed spectrum counterpart. broadband internet access across a large area from the
With internet penetration of just 16 percent, Africa has transmitter up to 100km [17]. It was reported in [18]
long been held back by infrastructure challenges tied to that individual WRAN Technology will deliver up to 22
the continent’s poverty, vast area and largely rural Mbps per channel without causing any interference to
population. The internet sector’s contribution to the the reception of incumbent TV stations and thus using
gross domestic product is the lowest of all continents at TVWS (guard band) between the filled TV channels to
1.1 percent according to [16]. avoid overlapping. WRAN technology is useful for
Secondary use of spectrum is associated with some serving rural areas where most unused TV channels are
technical problems. First, the free and vacant frequency located along with the protection that no harmful
bands will need to be identified and carefully interference is caused to the current operators. IEEE
monitored using sensitive white space Cognitive Radio 802.22 WRAN standard will integrate sophisticated CR
(CR). Another is that the secondary usage needs to be functionalities as well as access to dynamic spectrum,
handled and monitored in order to avoid interference incumbent operator database access, accurate and
to the primary user. Maintaining equilibrium between concise geo-location techniques, spectrum policies for
two devices is also paramount to handle interference optimal use of the available spectrum.
when different secondary users have detected identical
available frequency band. Furthermore, the availability 3.2. IEEE 802.19 and IEEE SCC 41 standards
of TVWS spectrum for secondary use is based on the The target of IEEE 802.19 standard is the potential
type of network deployment and services that is used. development of procedures and capability for co-
The usage of TVWS for mobile broadband internet existence, amongst different networks that will operate
access varies depending on the network deployment. in the environment of TVWS channel [19]. The work to
When high towers macro base stations are used, the do in this group of standard may incorporate
mobile broadband tends to cause interference on developing mechanisms for the sensing of other
propagating over large distances, causing a reduction networks in the TVWS environment.

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4. TVWS ACCESS TECHNOLOGY Spectra Link Wireless will be deploying high speed
4.1.
4.1. Cognitive LTE–
LTE–Femtocell over TV White spaces wireless networks that will cover all Nations University
As one of the future indoor coverage solutions, LTE- College and Koforidua Polytechnic. The network will
Femtocell has proven to be effective as reported in [20]. use TVWS frequency enabled radios and other wireless
This technology has been proposed to access the TVWS technologies to connect campus buildings ensuring
with low transmit power when successfully deployed they have access to fast broadband internet access.
in Africa. It can serve as good indoor equipment for the
rural area and also urban area. Based on the 5.3. Ten Cape Town schools connected
connected to Web using
demonstration in [20], it was said that cognitive LTE- TVWS
Femtocell can potentially provide significant indoor No fewer than ten schools have been connected to
coverage when widely deployed in future wireless broadband internet service at browsing internet
networks, providing high capacity, compact system speeds of 4 Mbps using dormant UHF spectrum located
which reduces device count and lower environmental between 480 MHz and 690 MHz meant for TV
costs. broadcasting service [22]. These schools are part of the
first pilot trial in South Africa to study the effects of
5. TVWS DEPLOYMENTS TAKE UP IN AFRICA connecting underserviced regions to the internet using
Dynamic Spectrum Alliance (DSA) is a global TVWS, which comprises the currently vacant
organization advocating for laws and regulations that frequencies meant for television broadcasting [23]. It
will lead to more efficient and effective spectrum was also announced that the second trial could
utilization in Europe, Asia and Africa, curbing the demonstrate the use of TVWS to connect rural regions
demerits poised by digital divide. The goal is to make in Limpopo. Furthermore, an envisaged third trial will
efficient use of this unlicensed spectrum most involve machine-to-machine (M2M) communication
especially in rural areas where broadband internet using TVWS frequencies in a time-division
access is limited. Microsoft, Google, Spectra Link multiplexing, where different signals are sent at
wireless, Uhuru One, Wave Tek, COSTECH, TENET, different times or the study of the functionality and use
Botswana Innovation Hub, Adapt rum among others of TVWS
are the members piloting TV White space in Africa. Channels with regard to machines only send signals
Some of the commercial pilots are highlighted below. periodically [23].

5.1. TV White Space in Nigeria 5.4. Kenya TV White Space commercial pilot
So far, there is no official TVWS trail or deployments in Microsoft launched its first pilot project on February
Nigeria. However, University of Ilorin has engaged 2013, Mawingu, Kenya. This project is among Microsoft
Wave Tek, to provide campus wide Wi-Fi and TVWS larger 4 Afrika initiatives [24]. Microsoft is working
connectivity across the entire campus and to hostels with three bodies, the Kenya’s ministry of information
and dormitories off campus [25]. Eventually coverage and communications, Adaptrum (spectrum database
will extend to neighboring villages. To ensure high manager) and Indigo Telecom Ltd in Mawingu.
speed Internet, Wave Tek will distribute Synchronous
Transport Module-4 (STM) capacity along with 5.5. Tanzania
Tanzania TV White Space commercial pilot
deploying TVWS base stations for areas that may be The Microsoft 4Afrika initiative continued its pilot trial
difficult to reach due to its low frequency and the ability by setting out another deployment of TV white space in
to travel far. This technology will be the first TV White partnership with the Tanzania Commission for Science
Space powered deployment in Nigeria. It will be also and Technology (COSTECH) and their local ISP
one of the largest campus wide Wi-Fi installations in all UhuruOne, to provide internet access to university
of Africa. students in Dares Salaam, Tanzania [24]. The project is
expected to boost the internet facilities of the
5.2. Ghana TV White Space Commercial Pilot university by ensuring flexibility and ease of use of
Microsoft recently announced a commercial pilot in internet services with the aim of connecting students
collaboration with Spectra Link Wireless providing low both in and off campus.
cost and affordable wireless connectivity to students
and faculty at universities in Koforidua, Ghana and a
linked joint research initiative with Facebook [21].

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5.6. Malawi TV White Space commercial pilot spectrum allocated to TV broadcast system i.e. TVWS
The University of Malawi, in collaboration with the could be exploited. The paper also provide expensive
International Centre for Theoretical Physics in Trieste review on the CR standard such as the IEE802.22
and Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority, has WRANs which was designed primarily, to operate
roll out TV white spaces pilot project in the city of effectively in the TV broadcast bands while ensuring
Zomba, in southern Malawi. The pilot, which kicked off that the incumbent operator are protected from
in September 2013, has connected several institutions, interference. Finally, various access technologies and,
school, hospital, an airport and a research facility [25]. the deployment and take up in Africa was presented.

6. PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH THE ACCESS TO

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