Page 7 - EngineerIt March 2021

TV SPACE

The expected coverage of the network
will reach 13 million people currently living DSA is the only global organisation focused on promoting spectrum sharing
in 3,5 million dwellings in these areas. innovation to get the most out of wireless resources. Its team is made up of
Thirty five percent of these dwellings worldwide technology experts, making it the shared spectrum go-to organisation
have access to the internet using a smart for regulators and policymakers all over the world.
phone. The expected number of new
subscribers is 1,7-million, including some DSA advocates for policies that promote unlicensed and dynamic access to
coverage in the hardest to reach, most spectrum to unleash economic growth and innovation. Additionally, it advocates
dispersed areas and rurally unconnected
people of the Northern Cape. for a variety of technologies that allow dynamic access to spectrum. Its focus is
ensuring that the regulatory framework to support that diversity of technologies
Extended feasibility study is adopted. Some examples of its advocacy actions include:
The initial feasibility study included a • 5.9 GHz and 6 GHz – it advocates for more unlicensed spectrum access in
network build as well as the development these bands for wireless devices and the new Wi-Fi generation, Wi-Fi 6.
of a business plan, including financing WLAN/RLAN will carry offload from cellular 5G technologies.
aspects to help ISPs and their investors • TV Space – provides long range and area coverage. It boasts great
understand and take advantage of the obstacle penetration in difficult terrain areas, in addition to building
commercial opportunity. The study was
planned for one year by the Covid-19 penetration. mmWave – unlicensed and shared use are ideal for
pandemic, and the various stages of mmWave spectrum because poor distance propagation and building
lockdown required an extension. penetration can enable massive frequency re-use.

Multi-faceted project consortium
WAPA, representing 250 members, as Adaptrum is a Silicon Valley based company with TVWS equipment, engineering
well as Microsoft and Adaptrum, are training and installation expertise for optimal deployment of the technical part of the
members of the Dynamic Spectrum project.
Alliance (DSA), a global association that The International Data Corporation (IDC), a market research and analysis company,
develops policy for, and mechanism in will provide an executive paper and overall assessment of the technical and economic
bands such as TVWS. aspects of the TVWS solution.
Project Isizwe is a South African Microsoft’s Airband team provided the underlying support on TVWS policy, project
business. It has been operating for many management, technical architecture capabilities and services on cloud-based CRM,
years and has successfully managed free billing systems, education solutions, and on the spectrum data base.
WiFi projects. The initial commercial feasibility study used leased and loaned equipment from

Typical Spaza shop installation

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