On the impact of propagation models on TV white spaces measurements in Africa

Currently, use of geo-location databases is the preferred method for detecting TV white spaces by white space devices in the United States of America. The approach protects TV transmitters and receivers from interference sufficiently by keeping a record of the TV transmitters' information, and relying on propagation models to determine the protection area of the TV transmitters. Thus accurate radio propagation by the propagation models is the key to determining the protection area of the TV transmitters. How accurate the propagation models determine the protection area is largely dependent on the terrain characteristics and environmental factors that vary widely from one area to another. These propagation models have been tested in different regions of the world but scarcely in the developing world where white space is assumed to provide broadband connectivity. As such, it is unclear at the moment how accurate the geo-location databases will detect TV white spaces in the developing world. Therefore, this paper argues that unless thorough tests have been conducted with the propagation models in the developing world, the use of geo-location databases in predicting TV white spaces in those regions may not produce optimal results.