South African TV white space project gets US funding

The Wireless Access Providers Association (WAPA) has received funding from the US Trade and Development Agency to aid in the rollout of a TV White Space (TVWS) network.
TV white spaces are portions of spectrum reserved for terrestrial TV broadcasting, but which are not actually used to broadcast channels.
TVWS technology uses these blank spaces within the broadcast band to secure its own frequencies for the creation of a broadband network.
The South African pilot project for this technology aims to deliver affordable Internet access to rural and semi-rural areas.
The consortium carrying out the pilot will be led by US company Adaptrum and includes Microsoft and IDC.
“We are extremely pleased to partner with USTDA to evaluate the viability of TVWS in South Africa. The pilot will benefit our members and ultimately the communities they serve,” said pilot project lead Paul Colmer.
“This support from USTDA will be invaluable in bridging the digital divide, which is of critical importance to community upliftment.”