Developers, manufacturers, researchers, operators, regulators, and policy makers will come together to address the unique potential of dynamic spectrum sharing in Africa
Arcata, CA & Dakar, Senegal - Just two months ago, six partners—Google, Carlson Wireless, ESN, CSIR Meraka, WAPA, and TENET—commenced a TV White Space broadband trial across ten schools in Cape Town, South Africa. From May 30th – 31st, the Dynamic Spectrum Africa Forum in Dakar, Senegal will address the success of that trial, along with others in Kenya and Malawi, while outlining a roadmap for the future of TV White Spaces use, policy, and regulation.
Hosted by Google, The Association for Progressive Communications (APC), AFRINIC, Internet Society Senegal (ISOC), Microsoft and Senegal’s Ministry of Telecoms and Digital Economy, the Forum looks to support wider use of TVWS broadband. White Spaces are powerful analog frequencies that can penetrate rural, rugged, expansive areas—delivering Internet to communities without Telephony resources, such as copper wiring and fiber optic cables.
Designed to support lower barriers to market entry, attract entrepreneurs and innovators, foster competition, operate with minimal administrative overhead, and out-perform the capabilities of other Internet technologies, TVWS has revolutionary potential in the communications industry—providing more service at lower prices to consumers. But these services and technologies lay contingent upon the shared, unlicensed (but not unregulated) use of White Spaces spectrum.
As more countries complete, commence, or plan to switch from analog to digital broadcasting—part of the international digital television transition—White Spaces are becoming increasingly available. However, there is a danger that incumbent license holders will be motivated to lock down the newly available spectrum with traditional private-property style licenses: destroying the competitive, ambitious, collective, and consumer-driven nature of TVWS innovation.
With this in mind, the Forum hopes to establish regulations that support a more balanced approach—before this progress-thwarting practice engulfs TVWS technology. The two-day workshop for government officials, communication regulators, and industry professionals will explore the opportunity dynamic spectrum represents specific to Africa; transforming the connectivity landscape to achieve the goal of creating affordable access for all and also boosting the growth of the technology sector in sub-Saharan regions.
Save the Date
Please save the date for the Dynamic Spectrum Africa Forum on May 30-31st in Dakar, Senegal. This interactive forum will convene developers, manufacturers, researchers, operators, regulators and policy makers. Together, we will outline the roadmap and unique use cases for dynamic spectrum in Africa. More information to come.
Proposed Agenda
Participants should stay at the event hotel listed below and plan on arriving the evening of Wednesday, May 29th for registration and cocktail reception.
Day One: May 30th
- The road so far, an overview of dynamic spectrum
- Regulatory roadmap & model ruls
- The economic benefits of unlicensed spectrum and bridging the digital divide
- The public sector perspective on dynamic spectrum
- Evening dinner and live music
Day Two: May 31st
- TV White Space trial outcomes: South Africa, Kenya, Malawi
- Technology updates from radio manufacturers
- The broadcaster perspective on TV White Spaces
- Standards process and databases
- Tour of Goree island
About Carlson
For more than a decade, Carlson has led the way in engineering high-speed wireless communication solutions for a broad spectrum of applications by using RF technology to deliver full voice and data connections, no matter how rugged the terrain. More than 20 million people in nearly 200 communities worldwide rely on Carlson radios for their public safety communications needs. Today, Carlson is considered a pioneer of the revolutionary new TV White Space broadband technology.