04 December 2014, Bogota, Colombia – Dynamic spectrum access techniques that improve spectrum utilization would help alleviate the spectrum crunch, enable the Internet of Things and close the digital divide in Latin America. This was the message given at last week’s ANE Annual Spectrum Conference on Internet of Things in Bogota by Prof. H Nwana, Executive Director of the Dynamic Spectrum Alliance, the global organisation advocating for law and regulations that will lead to more efficient and effective spectrum utilisation.
Nwana told his audience that dynamic spectrum policy thinking is moving up the agenda for regulators and policy makers as new areas like Internet of Things emerge, and that the global dynamic spectrum access movement is growing. He noted that this is evidenced by the growing Alliance membership and more countries looking to implement dynamic spectrum access regulations in 2015, to add to the United States, Singapore and Finland. This would include the UK, South Africa and Malawi. There are also a growing number of geographical database-based TV White Space pilots underway, including trials in North America, Europe, South Africa, Africa, Asia and even Latin America (the first being in Uruguay).
Nwana also said that dynamic spectrum thinking must start being the norm rather than the exception, particularly in the approach to the 2020s. Nwana believes dynamic spectrum projects in Latin America should and will flourish and achieve similar successes as elsewhere. Alliance members recently participated in the world’s largest TV White Space pilot, ‘Citizen Connect’, in which a TV White Space network was deployed over 9,424 km² in Namibia, Africa. The initiative connected three regional councils, 28 schools and seven education circuit offices to the internet and enabled students to access a wide range of voice, video, and data applications. Nwana went on to explain that his organisation, the Dynamic Spectrum Alliance, has developed model rules and regulations to kick start regulations and policy making with regulators worldwide.
Members of the Dynamic Spectrum Alliance also previously partnered with Plan Ceibal, a Uruguayan public education initiative, to connect five rural schools to the internet through TV White Space Technology. The project was the first of its kind in the region and is expected to expand further to include five more schools.
“The Alliance has enjoyed great success in 2014 in supporting, advocating and promoting dynamic spectrum access across the world and with the backing of regulatory bodies this can be replicated in Latin America. Work has already started in the region, however there is far more to be done,” said H Nwana, Executive Director of Dynamic Spectrum Alliance. “We’ve recently returned from Asia where evolving spectrum regulations are helping communities to make wireless broadband more widely available and affordable. By utilising dynamic spectrum access, Latin Americans can go online, creating new opportunities for education, healthcare, commerce and the delivery of government services.”
The Alliance is working to promote regulatory policies in Latin America too that which will address the spectrum crunch and pave the way for innovative new wireless technologies. The cross-industry organisation works to engage with regulators and government officials to promote the adoption of legal and regulatory frameworks that facilitate dynamic access to radio spectrum.
To conclude, Nwana welcomed new interests from potential new members in Latin America as well as interactions with more spectrum regulatory and policy makers.
Details of Dynamic Spectrum Alliance’s worldwide trials and pilots can be found here: http://www.dynamicspectrumalliance.org/pilots.html. For further information about the Dynamic Spectrum Alliance, please visit www.dynamicspectrumalliance.org/, or follow @dynamicspectrum on Twitter. Alternatively joins the Alliance on Facebook or LinkedIn. For all media enquiries, please contact Dana Hare at dana.hare@proactive-pr.com or +44 7795 615466, or Russell Cafferty at russell.cafferty@proactive-pr.com.
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About the Dynamic Spectrum Alliance
The Dynamic Spectrum Alliance is a global organization advocating for laws and regulations that will lead to more efficient and effective spectrum utilization. The DSA’s membership spans multinationals, small- and medium-sized enterprises, and academic, research, and other organisations from around the world, all working to create innovative solutions that will increase the amount of available spectrum to the benefit of consumers and businesses alike. Visit http://www.dynamicspectrumalliance.org/, follow @DynamicSpectrum, https://www.facebook.com/DynamicSpectrumAlliance, and http://www.linkedin.com/groups/Dynamic-Spectrum-Access-DSA-5122947.