Exploring Television White Space as an Alternative for Wireless Broadband Connectivity

Advancement in wireless transmission has enabled the communication among multiple devices all over the world, as well as expanding the frontiers of wireless Internet access. As a result of these advancement, numerous devices are questing for wireless connectivity thereby congesting the existing spectrum. If new measures are not taken to reduce depletion of the reserved radio resource, new allocations of wireless Internet access will be impossible, thereby risking the development of the entire wireless ecosystem. The demands for resourceful spectrum consumption have continually driven researchers and stakeholders in the wireless industry to search for spare radio spectrum to offer affordable and reliable wireless connectivity. The TV broadcasting is not fully utilizing the spectrum in some geographical zone. These TV unused spaces called TV White Spaces (TVWS), are well-thought-out to be the probable future resolutions for unavailability of spectrum. The low frequency band (470 to 694 MHz) of the unutilized TV channel has exceptional broadcast features over extensive distances and enables transmissions through high-rise buildings, trees, and mountains. These features allow the applications of TVWS in Internet of Things (IoT), wireless sensor network, wireless connectivity, wireless switching, smart grid and cities, automated transportation, and logistics as well as connectivity in cloud infrastructure. This paper presents a study on the advantages and benefits of television white space as an alternative to wireless broadband connectivity.