487 research outputs found
Enabling rural broadband via TV "white space"
The use of multiple frequency bands within a wireless network allows the advantages of each band to be exploited. In this paper we discuss how HopScotch, a rural wireless broadband access test bed running in the Scottish Highlands and Islands, uses both 5 GHz and ultra high frequency "white space" bands to offer large data rates and expansive coverage whilst reducing the number of base stations or required transmission power. This reduction in energy consumption allows HopScotch to provide a low-cost and green solution for rural broadband delivery
Rate Optimal design of a Wireless Backhaul Network using TV White Space
The penetration of wireless broadband services in remote areas has primarily
been limited due to the lack of economic incentives that service providers
encounter in sparsely populated areas. Besides, wireless backhaul links like
satellite and microwave are either expensive or require strict line of sight
communication making them unattractive. TV white space channels with their
desirable radio propagation characteristics can provide an excellent
alternative for engineering backhaul networks in areas that lack abundant
infrastructure. Specifically, TV white space channels can provide "free
wireless backhaul pipes" to transport aggregated traffic from broadband sources
to fiber access points. In this paper, we investigate the feasibility of
multi-hop wireless backhaul in the available white space channels by using
noncontiguous Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (NC-OFDMA)
transmissions between fixed backhaul towers. Specifically, we consider joint
power control, scheduling and routing strategies to maximize the minimum rate
across broadband towers in the network. Depending on the population density and
traffic demands of the location under consideration, we discuss the suitable
choice of cell size for the backhaul network. Using the example of available TV
white space channels in Wichita, Kansas (a small city located in central USA),
we provide illustrative numerical examples for designing such wireless backhaul
network
A Comprehensive Survey on Networking over TV White Spaces
The 2008 Federal Communication Commission (FCC) ruling in the United States
opened up new opportunities for unlicensed operation in the TV white space
spectrum. Networking protocols over the TV white spaces promise to subdue the
shortcomings of existing short-range multi-hop wireless architectures and
protocols by offering more availability, wider bandwidth, and longer-range
communication. The TV white space protocols are the enabling technologies for
sensing and monitoring, Internet-of-Things (IoT), wireless broadband access,
real-time, smart and connected community, and smart utility applications. In
this paper, we perform a retrospective review of the protocols that have been
built over the last decade and also the new challenges and the directions for
future work. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first comprehensive
survey to present and compare existing networking protocols over the TV white
spaces.Comment: 19 page
HopScotch - a low-power renewable energy base station network for rural broadband access
The provision of adequate broadband access to communities in sparsely populated rural areas has in the past been severely restricted. In this paper, we present a wireless broadband access test bed running in the Scottish Highlands and Islands which is based on a relay network of low-power base stations. Base stations are powered by a combination of renewable sources creating a low cost and scalable solution suitable for community ownership. The use of the 5~GHz bands allows the network to offer large data rates and the testing of ultra high frequency ``white space'' bands allow expansive coverage whilst reducing the number of base stations or required transmission power. We argue that the reliance on renewable power and the intelligent use of frequency bands makes this approach an economic green radio technology which can address the problem of rural broadband access
WhiteHaul: white space spectrum aggregation system for backhaul
Today almost half the world's population does not have Internet access. This is particularly the case in rural and undeserved regions where providing Internet access infrastructure is challenging and expensive. To this end, we present demonstration of WhiteHaul [5], a low-cost hybrid cross-layer aggregation system for TV White Space (TVWS) based backhaul. WhiteHaul features a custom-designed frequency conversion substrate that efficiently handles multiple noncontiguous chunks of TVWS spectrum using multiple low-cost COTS 802.11n/ac cards but with a single antenna. At the software layer, WhiteHaul uses MPTCP as a link-level tunnel abstraction to efficiently aggregate multiple chunks of the TVWS spectrum via a novel uncoupled, cross-layer congestion control algorithm. This demo illustrates the unique features of the WhiteHaul system based on a prototype implementation employing a modified version of MPTCP Linux Kernel and a custom-designed conversion substrate. Using this prototype, we highlight the performance of the WhiteHaul system under various configurations and network conditions
Power-optimised multi-radio network under varying throughput constraints for rural broadband access
The use of complementary radio access technologies within a network allows the advantages of each technology to be combined to overcome individual limitations. In this paper we show how 5~GHz and ``TV White Space'' overlay networks can be combined to provide fixed wireless access coverage within a rural environment. By creating a model of the whole network we derive the optimum assignment of stations between the two overlay networks to maximise the capacity of individual stations given a desired individual station data rate. Through simulation we show how the power consumption of a base station can be minimised by dynamically adjusting station assignments based on network data rate requirements changing over the course of a day
Malawi's TV white space regulations : a review and comparison with FCC and Ofcom regulations
Regulators are in the process of framing regulations to allow secondary use of vacant TV channels while protecting TV broadcast services from harmful interference. While the US and UK regulators have already passed such regulations in 2008 and 2015 respectively, other countries are still in drafting stages and the underlying circumstances in these countries could be different from those of the US and UK. Malawi released its final draft regulations in 2016. While the US and UK legislate for dynamic spectrum access and licence-exemption for secondary users, Malawiâs draft regulations require such users to apply for a licence for assigned TV white space spectrum. This paper provides an analytical review of Malawiâs regulations and a comparison with FCC and Ofcom regulations, which new regulations can build on. This analysis will also inform future work on network management tools that can enable practical deployment and coexistence of large-scale TV white space networks in a dynamic spectrum access environment in Africa
Wideband TV white space transceiver design and implementation
For transceivers operating in television white space (TVWS), frequency agility and strict spectral mask fulfilments are vital. In the UK, TVWS covers a 320 MHz wide frequency band in the UHF range, and the aim of this paper is to present a wideband digital up- and down converter for this scenario. Sampling at radio frequency (RF), a two stage digital conversion is presented, which consists of a polyphase filter for implicit upsampling and decimation, and a filter bank-based multicarrier approach to resolve the 8MHz channels within the TVWS band. We demonstrate that the up- and down-conversion of 40 such channels is hardly more costly than that of a single channel. Appropriate filter design can satisfy the mandated spectral mask and control the reconstruction error. An FPGA implementation is discussed, capable of running the wideband transceiver on a single Virtex-7 device with sufficient word length to preserve the spectral mask requirements of the system
Feasibility, Architecture and Cost Considerations of Using TVWS for Rural Internet Access in 5G
The cellular technology is mostly an urban technology that has been unable to serve rural areas well. This is because the traditional cellular models are not economical for areas with low user density and lesser revenues. In 5G cellular networks, the coverage dilemma is likely to remain the same, thus widening the rural-urban digital divide further. It is about time to identify the root cause that has hindered the rural technology growth and analyse the possible options in 5G architecture to address this issue. We advocate that it can only be accomplished in two phases by sequentially addressing economic viability followed by performance progression. We deliberate how various works in literature focus on the later stage of this âtwo-phaseâ problem and are not feasible to implement in the first place. We propose the concept of TV band white space (TVWS) dovetailed with 5G infrastructure for rural coverage and show that it can yield cost-effectiveness from a service providerâs perspective
- âŚ