Super Wi-Fi: TV White Space and Wireless Broadband Inclusion

Blandin Foundation WebinarSeptember 12, 2013

Michael CalabreseDirector, Wireless Future Project Open Technology InstituteNew America Foundationcalabrese@newamerica.net

Public Interest Spectrum Coalition

Unlicensed Access to Vacant TV Channels was first advocated in the U.S. by NGOs to facilitate:

Wireless broadband for rural and unserved areas: Economic development is increasingly linked to broadband access

More robust Wi-Fi networks as both a complement and alternative to licensed carrier networks

The U.S. NGO White Space Coalition included:

• Consumer Federation of America • Consumers Union• Leadership Conference on Civil Rights• EDUCAUSE (University CTOs)• National Hispanic Media Coalition• Free Press • Public Knowledge• New America Foundation• Native Public Media . . . (and other groups)

Location, Location, Location!TV Band Spectrum (< 1 GHz) is uniquely valuable:

- Larger Coverage Areas- Lower Infrastructure Costs

- Better In-Building Penetration

What is Super Wi-Fi?Super Wi-Fi

Vacant local TV channels opened by the FCC that are useable on an unlicensed basis for broadband applications (e.g., Wi-Fi as wireless backhaul), narrowband M2M, etc

Utilizes Unused TV Broadcast Frequencies (TV White Spaces)

Lower Frequencies (below 700 Mghz) allow signals to cover far larger areas than traditional Wi-Fi and penetrate or bend around obstacles (trees, hills, deeper indoors) relative to higher frequencies

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88

174

216

470

698

512

614

608

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Lower VHF Upper VHF UHF

Public

Safety

Wireless Mics

RA

Fixed TVWS DevicesPortable/Personal

TVWS Devices

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72

TV ch

2-4TV ch 7-13 TV ch 21-365-6

TV ch 14-20TV ch 38-51

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AIR.U: Rural College CommunitiesInitiative by Consortium of Higher Education Groups to Deploy Bandwidth to Rural College Communities

Rural and small city colleges/universities are well suited for Super Wi-Fi innovation

• Higher Bandwidth Requirements (increasing)

• Fewer Bandwidth Alternatives

• Fewer Broadcasters means far more White Space

Pilot Phase Deployments in Development:

West Virginia University

Garrett County Maryland (unserved rural areas)

California State U/Stanislaus (broadband to students at home)

Historically Black Colleges in S.C. (extending coverage/capacity)

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Declaration NetworksGroup, LLC

AIR.U: University of West VirginiaTV White Space Network Blankets University tram system with Wi-Fi Connectivity• White Space Network Extends Public

Wi-Fi Internet Access (Fixed & Mobile)

• 15,000 Student/Faculty Commuters per day

• 3.5 miles of track – 5 station platforms

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University W. Virginia Personal Rapid Transit System

PRT route

identified in

orange

Gigabit Libraries Network

• “Libraries WhiteSpace: National Pilot”

• More than 90% of US libraries already use unlicensed wireless spectrum (wifi) to provide Internet access to

tens of millions of people.

• First national-scale White Space Trial in US:

Deliver more bandwidth to libraries without high-speed wireline connections (e.g., KC enviro library)

Explore the utility of TVWS to extend and support more basic, open, no-fee Wi-Fi library hotspots (e.g.,

satellite library hotspots, book mobile Internet access)

Seek benefits of combining the near universal compatibility of Wi-Fi with the range and penetrating

capabilities of White Space devices.

• Round One: From 50 proposals from all regions of the country, six chosen in KS, NH, CO, NH, MS, CA, IL

• KS & NH are multi-library, statewide consortia: “Kansas K20-Librarians White Space Consortium”

• Every state encouraged to investigate the prospects for a state wide library consortium pilot.

• If half the nation’s 16,000+ libraries deployed TVWS networks, each ave. 5-6 remotes, it would QUADRUPLE the number of public library hotspots.

• GigLibraries.Net

TVWS: Cost-Effective Community Networks Targeting Unserved Rural Areas

In a rural, forested and rugged Garrett County, MD, wireless backhaul from distant State fiber to TVWS base station hubs . . .

. . . will offer 3,000 unserved homes and businesses > 3 mbps Wi-Fi service for $30/month.

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THANK YOU!

QUESTIONS?

Contact:

Michael Calabrese

Open Technology Institute

New America Foundation

calabrese@newamerica.net

9 9/13/2013