Quantitative estimation of TV white space in Southwest Nigeria

The demand for bandwidth has increased in recent years with the advent of new technologies in the wireless systems which have resulted into spectrum crunch. Utilizing the free ultra high frequency (UHF), television (TV) channels also known as TV white space (TVWS) has been proposed as a strategy for increasing spectral efficiency. Deploying TVWS requires the knowledge of the estimate of the available TVWS. In this paper, a quantitative estimation of the available TVWS in South West, Nigeria is computed using the protection view point approach, the pollution viewpoint approach and the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) rule. Results from the estimation shows that the pollution view point approach will guarantee enough protection from the primary users and hence prevent interference from the secondary users. The findings also reveal that there are abundant TVWS in the considered states for the deployment of TVWS devices

Cognitive radio for TVWS usage

Spectrum scarcity is an emerging issue in wireless communication systems due to the increasing demand of broadband services like mobile communications, wireless internet access, IoT applications, among others. The migration of analog TV to digital systems (a.k.a. digital TV switchover) has led to the release of a significant spectrum share that can be used to support said additional services. Likewise, TV white spaces emerge as spectral opportunities that can also be explored. Hence, cognitive radio (CR) presents itself as a feasible approach to efficiently use resources and exploit gaps within the spectrum. The goal of this paper is to unveil the state of the art revolving around the usage of TV white spaces, including some of the most important methods developed to exploit such spaces, upcoming opportunities, challenges for future research projects, and suggestions to improve current models

Can Unlicensed Bands Be Used by Unlicensed Usage?

Since their introduction, unlicensed ISM bands have resulted in a wide range of new wireless devices and services. It is fair to say that the success of ISM was an important factor in the opening of the TV white space for unlicensed access. Further bands (e.g., 3550-3650 MHz) are being studied to support unlicensed access. Expansion of the unlicensed bands may well address one of the principle disadvantages of unlicensed (variable quality of service) which could result in a vibrant new group companies providing innovative services and better prices. However, given that many commercial mobile telephone operators are relying heavily on the unlicensed bands to manage growth in data traffic through the “offloading” strategy, the promise of these bands may be more limited than might otherwise be expected (Musey, 2013).\ud \ud Wireless data traffic has exploded in the past several years due to more capable devices and faster network technologies. While there is some debate on the trajectory of data growth, some notable reports include AT&T, which reported data growth of over 5000% from 2008 to 2010 and Cisco, who predicted that mobile data traffic will grow to 6.3 exabytes per month in average by 2015 (Hu, 2012). Although the data traffic increased dramatically, relatively little new spectrum for mobile operators has come online in the last several years; further, the “flat-rate” pricing strategy has led to declining Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) for the mobile operators. Their challenge, then, is how to satisfy the service demand with acceptable additional expenditures on infrastructure and spectrum utilization.\ud \ud A common response to this challenge has been to offload data traffic onto unlicensed (usually WiFi) networks. This can be accomplished either by establishing infrastructure (WiFi hotspots) or to use existing private networks. This phenomenon leads to two potential risks for spectrum entrants: (1) the use of offloading may overwhelm unlicensed spectrum and leave little access opportunities for newcomers; (2) the intensity of the traffic may increase interference and degrade innovative services.\ud \ud Consequently, opening more unlicensed frequency bands alone may not necessarily lead to more unlicensed usage. In this paper, we will estimate spectrum that left for unlicensed usage and analyze risks for unlicensed users in unlicensed bands in terms of access opportunities and monetary gain. We will further provide recommendations that help foster unlicensed usage in unlicensed bands

A Survey of Cognitive Radio Access to TV White Spaces

Cognitive radio is being intensively researched as the enabling technology for license-exempt access to the so-called TV White Spaces (TVWS), large portions of spectrum in the UHF/VHF bands which become available on a geographical basis after digital switchover. Both in the US, and more recently, in the UK the regulators have given conditional endorsement to this new mode of access. This paper reviews the state-of-the-art in technology, regulation, and standardisation of cognitive access to TVWS. It examines the spectrum opportunity and commercial use cases associated with this form of secondary access

The evolution of public safety communications in Europe: the results from the FP7 HELP project

This paper describes the results from the FP7 HELP project, which investigated the potential of emerging wireless communication technologies and potential synergies between mobile public safety and commercial networks to enhance the communication capabilities of public safety users. The paper identifies the current trends and challenges for wireless communications in the public safety domain, the potential solution frameworks identified in the HELP project and an economic analysis to show the benefits in terms of cost saving. The paper also describes the related research activities of the European Commission in this area.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Collaborative Neighbour Monitoring in TV White Space Network

Collaborative sensing among secondary users in television white space (cognitive radio) networks can considerably increasethe probability of detecting primary or secondary users. In current collaborative sensing schemes, all collaborative secondary users are assumed to be honest; however, the deployment of such networks is susceptible to attacks by malicious users, in which malicious secondary users either report false detection results or inject falsified data in order to unduly occupy a specific channel and deny other nodes from using it. This work seeks to allow each secondary user to monitor its neighbour to ensure there is no spectrum abuse by any secondary users so as to improve spectrum fairness in dynamic spectrum access (DSA) networks

Estudio de vigilancia tecnológica sobre TV White Spaces, enfocado a la conectividad en zonas rurales en Colombia

The development of this research is aimed at knowing the most important aspects of TV White Spaces (TVWS) technology, operation, architecture, use cases, regulation and implementations in Colombia and in various parts of the world, as a starting point for evolution. of wireless communications in the rural sector. The first step to know the current state of technology, the technological surveillance process (VT) is adopted, of which the planning, search and capture, and analysis and organization phases are applied. In the first planning phase, it is found that there is no existing study of technological surveillance of TVWS technology in Colombia and that we make way for factors that we can achieve with this study, such as early anticipation of technological changes, minimization of associated technological risks. to innovation and to expose the early detection of opportunities and technological cooperation. Next, it exposes the existing needs in Colombia and the critical surveillance factors of the TVWS, such as the technology that reduces this gap of non-connectivity. As a general conclusion to this entire process of technological surveillance, it is to make known and recommend the use in Colombia of the base station-client architecture with georeferenced equipment that resolves which channels are available and achieves connectivity over long distances, overcoming interference and demonstrating advantages over other wireless technologies with reference to costs, infrastructure, uses, laws and regulations. It is disclosed that MESH topologies such as some of the existing wireless technologies (Wi-Fi, LTE, 5G) can be implemented in a hybrid way with TVWS technology for rural sectors with houses far from each other, where implementation with other technologies becomes unfeasible.La elaboración de esta investigación va dirigida a conocer los aspectos más importantes de la tecnología TV White Spaces (TVWS), como la operación, arquitectura, casos de uso, regulación e implementaciones en Colombia y en diversas partes del mundo, punto de partida en la evolución de las comunicaciones inalámbricas en el sector rural. Se adopta el proceso de vigilancia tecnológica (VT), aplicando las fases de planeación, búsqueda y captación, y análisis y organización, empezando con el estado actual de la tecnología TVWS. En la primera fase de planificación se encuentra que no existe en Colombia ningún estudio existente de vigilancia tecnológica en la tecnología TVWS y que da paso a factores que se alcanzan con este estudio, tales como la anticipación temprana de cambios tecnológicos, la minimización de riesgos tecnológicos asociados a innovación y a exponer la detección temprana de oportunidades y de cooperación tecnológica. Seguidamente se exponen las necesidades existentes en Colombia y los factores críticos en la vigilancia de la tecnología TVWS, evidenciando que esta tecnología reduce la brecha de la no conectividad. Como conclusión general a todo este proceso de vigilancia tecnológica es dar a conocer y recomendar el uso en Colombia de la arquitectura estación base–cliente con equipos georreferenciados que resuelven que canales están disponibles y logran conectividad a largas distancias, superando interferencias y demostrando ventajas sobre las demás tecnologías inalámbricas con referencia al costo, infraestructura, usos, legislaciones y regulaciones. Se da a conocer que las topologías MESH como algunas de las tecnologías inalámbricas existentes (Wi-Fi, LTE, 5G) se pueden implementar de manera hibrida con la tecnología TVWS para sectores rurales con viviendas distanciadas entre sí, en donde la implementación con otras tecnologías se vuelve inviable