TV White Space Network Provisioning with Directional and Omni-Directional Terminal Antennas

Operating at ultra-high frequency (UHF), TV white space (TVWS) can achieve long-distance communication and good in-building penetration, and has attracted increasing attention of regulators, researchers and stakeholders. This paper explores the potential of TVWS for network provisioning within a cluster of buildings, through a succession of tests. Different transmission distances, from 10m to over 120m, and through multiple layers of walls as well as complex transmission environment imposed by other factors like office and construction facilities, are considered. Further, a compact ultra-wide band (UWB) printed monopole antenna is designed for the client white space terminal, and compared with a commercial directional UHF antenna on the same client. Measurement results show that the in-house compact antenna achieves fast network speed and a high signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR), and it is orientation independent.