This week Telco2 (publisher of NZTelco) has released an InternetNZ-funded study of the practical application of Television White Space Broadband for use in rural New Zealand communities.
Television White Space Broadband (TVWS) is an inexpensive, light weight technology – priced closer to wireless broadband equipment than it is to the cellular equipment typically used to cover rural and remote communities. Through its use of television spectrum TVWS can allow broadband coverage far more effectively than technologies like Wi-Fi while emitting just four watts of power – orders of magnitude less than a typical cellular tower.
Using the technology, wireless broadband providers are now able to take advantage of unused television spectrum, while the rights of broadcasters are preserved. In the most straightforward example of TVWS use, if a television broadcaster isn’t using their spectrum in a particular area, and if its use for broadband wouldn’t compromise a broadcast elsewhere, that spectrum is available for use delivering wireless broadband in a dynamic yet controlled way.
To evaluate the potential utility of TVWS in New Zealand, three rural communities that will be missed by the RBI were identified and evaluated. Radio coverage models were constructed simulating common, off the shelf Wi-Fi technology and new TVWS equipment. The models were then compared for coverage potential of each technology – with TVWS broadband showing a clear advantage in some situations.
The full report is available online: http://tinyurl.com/bph5amf from InternetNZ.