A six-month trial in South Africa will test the feasibility of offering wireless broadband over a white space network, Google announced earlier this week. In cooperation with several organizations in South Africa, Google will provide 10 schools near Cape Town with wireless broadband over white spaces—sections of unused spectrum between frequencies reserved for broadcast TV stations—using base stations located at Stellenbosch University in Cape Town.
According to Google, white space is well suited for “providing low-cost connectivity to rural communities with poor telecommunications infrastructure” because low frequency signals can travel longer distances. White space can also be used to strengthen wireless broadband coverage in densely populated urban areas.
Google hopes to establish by the end of the trial that utilizing white spaces for wireless broadband does not interfere with local broadcasters while increasing connectivity in certain areas.
“During the trial, we will attempt to show that broadband can be offered over white spaces without interfering with licensed spectrum holders,” Fortune Mgwili-Sibanda, public policy manager of Google South Africa, wrote in a statement. “To prevent interference with other channels, the network [will use] Google’s spectrum database to determine white space availability.”
The CSIR Meraka Institute will monitor the trial and record spectrum measurements for the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) and local broadcasters.
For more information, visit Google.
