Television White Spaces – Global Developments and Regulatory Issues in India

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TELEVISION WHITE SPACES – GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS AND REGULATORY ISSUES IN INDIA

Submitted as part of the course Infrastructure Development and Financing of the Post Graduate Program in Management at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad

Submitted to

PROFESSOR REKHA JAIN

Arpit Maheshwari

Ashwin Gopalakrishnan

Harini A

Nupur Mangla

Pallavi Bhagavatula

Richa Goyat

Group 10 – IDF B

Contents Executive Summary ...... 4 List of Figures and Exhibits ...... 6 1. Technology ...... 8 1.1 How does TVWS work? ...... 8 1.2 Advantages of TVWS ...... 9 Long Range ...... 9 Better Speeds ...... 9 In-Building Penetration ...... 9 Free, Unlicensed Spectrum ...... 10 Globally harmonised spectrum ...... 10 Abundant Bandwidth ...... 10 1.3 Enabling Ecosystem ...... 11 Standards ...... 11 Devices ...... 11 Spectrum Databases ...... 12 1.4 Applications of TVWS ...... 13 1.5 Adoption of TVWS ...... 14 United Kingdom ...... 15 United States ...... 15 Kenya ...... 15 South Africa ...... 16 2. Regulation across the world ...... 17 2.1 Regulation in the USA ...... 17 Regulatory body: Federal Communications Commission (FCC) ...... 17 2.2 Regulation in the UK ...... 17 Regulatory Body: The Office of Communications (Ofcom) ...... 17 2.3 Regulation in Canada ...... 19 Regulatory Body: Industry Canada (Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission)...... 19 Other Countries ...... 19 3. Internet access in India ...... 21 4. Potential Applications of TVWS in India ...... 22 5. Status of TVWS in India ...... 23

5.1 Current Spectrum Allocation for TV in India ...... 23 5.2 TV White Spaces in India ...... 23 5.3 Existing Policy Stance ...... 24 6. What should the regulator do? ...... 25 6.1 Licensing ...... 25 6.2 Interference ...... 26 6.3 Standards ...... 27 7. A Framework for India ...... 28 8. Exhibits ...... 30 Exhibit A: TVWS Sensing By IIT Delhi ...... 30 Exhibit B: TVWS Sensing By IIT Bombay ...... 31 9. References ...... 32

Executive Summary Television White Spaces (TVWS) refers to unused portions of spectrum in the television (TV) bands, such as guard bands between broadcasting channels and channels freed up by the transition from analogue to digital TV broadcasting. TVWS signals have longer range, better speeds and robust non-line-of-sight performance. This coupled with abundant bandwidth allow these channels to be used for delivering broadband internet access in areas that aren’t easily accessible by cable at much lower costs than optical fibre or conventional wireless networks. In addition, TVWS can be used for machine to machine communication and to cheaply provide wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) access in university campuses and public spaces. TV bands are harmonized worldwide, and this raises the expectation that TVWS will be available globally.

Protection of incumbent users of the TV band is the most important consideration while deploying TVWS networks. In South Africa, Google has launched a trial TVWS program that will attempt to show that broadband can be offered over white spaces without interfering with licensed spectrum holders. Similar trials have been completed in the UK and the world’s first commercial TVWS network has been launched in the US.

Some countries have also begun efforts to regulate the sector. In the United States of America (US), a TVWS database developed by Google has received certification from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). This is expected to help determine white space availability and in developing certified devices to bring new technologies and services to market. In the United Kingdom (UK), regulator Ofcom is working on a model regulatory framework based on a license-exempt use of television white spaces spectrum.

India’s poor rate of broadband penetration makes it a prime candidate for utilizing TVWS networks to provide high-speed and reliable internet access in rural areas. This will help bridge the divide between rural and urban India, while increasing the contribution of internet to the gross domestic product (GDP). Stable internet access to rural India will bring ~70% of the population under the ambit of internet enabled services like e-commerce, railway reservations, e-governance services, weather and crop information, online courses and education, banking and other financial services etc.

Multiple studies have shown that there is a vast amount of unused TV spectrum currently in India. The impending shift from analogue to digital systems is expected to free up even more spectrum. In this scenario, a license-exempt approach to TVWS spectrum is favoured to spur innovation and investment in this area and to reduce barriers to entry. To protect incumbent users and prevent harmful interference, geo location databases are preferred as opposed to currently unviable cognitive radio solutions. We recommend that the regulator allow multiple private database operators to operate and allow them to monetize database operations using a combination of hybrid and indirect pricing. The regulator’s mandate should be limited to certifying databases, specifying communication protocols and device power requirements. Of the multiple competing standards for communication, the regulator should support open standards rather than proprietary standards. The ultimate choice of standards and protocols will be taken by industry and technical associations.

To reap the digital dividend, it is imperative that India provide affordable and reliable internet access to its citizens. For TVWS to play a part in this, the regulator should move quickly in delineating license-exempt spectrum and in inviting industry inputs. Pilot programs to test viability will need to precede full-fledged use of spectrum. TV white spaces are an important test case that will be a measure of whether dynamic and license-exempt use of spectrum can help in reaching those who have been left by the wayside in the internet revolution.

List of Figures and Exhibits  Figure 1 – Illustrative Example of TV White Space...... 09  Figure 2 – TVWS Propagation...... 10  Figure 3 – Spectrum Database...... 13  Figure 4 – India and the Internet...... 22  Figure 5 – TVWS Framework for India...... 28  Figure 6 – Chronology of TVWS Implementation...... 28  Figure 7 – Sample TVWS Network...... 29  Exhibit A – TVWS Sensing by IIT Delhi…………………………………………………………………..30  Exhibit B – TVWS Sensing by IIT Bombay………………………………………………………………31

PART 1: GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS

1. Technology

1.1 How does TVWS work?[4] [22][43][57][58] Television White Spaces (TVWS) refers to unused portions of spectrum in the television (TV) bands, such as guard bands between broadcasting channels and channels freed up by the transition from analogue to digital TV broadcasting. In very-high frequency (VHF) and ultra- high frequency (UHF) analogue TV broadcasting, empty guard bands were added to each channel to reduce interference. Unlike analogue broadcasting, digital signals do not “bleed” into one another—and can therefore be packed closer together. As a result, the television networks now require little more than half the frequency spectrum they needed previously. Earlier, this so-called “white space” of unused frequencies separating working channels amounted to as much as 70% of the total bandwidth available for television broadcasting.

On these free frequency channels, current users of the TV band, users of public wireless microphones such as theatres and sport venues and public safety users have priority over TVWS devices. Therefore it is essential that interference be avoided between these different devices that use the same portion of the spectrum.

To achieve this, TVWS devices will need to determine the frequency channels that are available at a specific time and location. Of the different techniques that have been trialled out for this purpose, using a geo-location database is seen as the most promising technique and is being pursued by regulators in the US and UK.

A geo-location database provides a real-time view of spectrum usage in the TV band by location, and communicates the available frequencies to TVWS devices prior to operation. Master devices, such as a TVWS base station, act as intermediaries in this process, and determine the frequencies to be used by terminal devices (‘slaves’) within its control. Master devices are co-ordinated, to avoid interference being caused to devices within the TVWS network.[48][50]

According to European Commission estimates, there are expected to be 7.1 billion phones, tablets and other mobile devices that are connected to the internet globally. With increasing automation, the amount of wireless enabled devices is also expected to explode. Spectrum sharing is essential to alleviate the current and predicted load on networks and TVWS technology is part of the solution.[1]

Figure 1 - Illustrative Example of TV White Space

(Source: FCC Provisions for White Space Devices

Operating in the TV Bands) 1.2 Advantages of TVWS

Long Range TVWS are found in the VHF and UHF TV broadcasting frequencies, especially between 470−698 Megahertz (MHz) in the USA and 470−790 MHz in Europe. At lower frequencies, radio signals have a very long range. As a result, fewer base stations are required for providing the same level of coverage, resulting in cheaper networks as this reduces both capital expenditure on network equipment and network maintenance and operation (e.g. power for base stations) costs.[48][58]

Long signal range is beneficial especially for providing coverage in rural areas, where the alternative solutions are expensive.

Better Speeds The frequencies used for television broadcasting (54MHz to 806MHz) were chosen in the first place because they were good at transmitting information quickly. Whereas Wi-Fi can shuttle data at 160-300 megabits (Mbps) per second, white-space can do so at 400-800 Mbps per second.[43][58]

In-Building Penetration The excellent propagation of TVWS radio signals provides deep in-building coverage, allowing ubiquitous (or near-ubiquitous) coverage. Their non-line-of-sight performance offers the ability to penetrate obstacles such as trees, buildings and rugged terrain.[48]

Free, Unlicensed Spectrum TVWS are being opened up for new uses on a free and unlicensed basis. Regulators are considering or have already allowed TVWS devices to operate in the TV band provided that they do not cause interference to the primary spectrum users. Free spectrum significantly reduces the costs of operating wireless networks.[48]

Globally harmonised spectrum TV bands are harmonised worldwide, so white space can be expected to be available globally. Having a global marketplace offers the prospect of economies of scale for network equipment and devices. This will spur the development of common standards and technologies while allowing manufacturers to mass-produce equipment driving down unit costs.[48]

Abundant Bandwidth A huge amount of spectrum is available in TVWS. Research points to the fact that ~100MHz of spectrum is available at most US and UK locations. In emerging markets such as India and South Africa, where fewer TV channels are used, white space spectrum is likely to be even more abundant.[48]

Figure 2 - TVWS propagation

(Source: http://www.biztechafrica.com/article/tv-white-space-internet-trialled-sa/5622/#.UkSp_D_iKDs)

1.3 Enabling Ecosystem

Standards[48] Depending upon the application, there are various standards that have been proposed for TVWS operation.

IEEE 802.11af (WhiteFi) is a Wi-Fi profile tailored for TVWS. While Internet access is the application most often discussed for this technology, Microsoft has proposed an architecture for advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) communications that uses 802.11af for connectivity from the meter to data aggregation points.

IEEE 802.22 (Wi-Far) is a point-to-multipoint standard for broadband access, which was ratified in July 2011. It is designed for delivering rural broadband service over large areas, and offers ranges of up to 100km from each base station.

Weightless is a proprietary open wireless technology being developed by Neul ( a TVWS pioneer) in conjunction with the Weightless Special Interest Group as an open standard specifically for M2M applications. The technology uses a (Quadrature Amplitude Modulation) QAM or (Quadrature Phase Shift Keying) QPSK modulation scheme to control emissions in adjacent channels without impacting data rates. It can be used for exchanging data between a base station and thousands of machines around it with high levels of security.

To finalize technical standards, an industry alliance called WhiteSpace Alliance was formed in December 2011. The alliance aims to act as an enabler of the emerging white spaces ecosystem by helping put in place interoperability, conformance and compliance testing standards.

Devices Engineering TVWS devices is complicated because white space devices must not emit into the band that is used by licensed users. Even if white space devices’ emissions are outside the band that is used by licensed users, if the licensed user’s device is unable to filter this emission adequately, then the quality of reception deteriorates. Moreover in the TV UHF bands, the unused channels which may be allocated to a white space device are rarely white at all, but usually contain energy from distant transmitters.

Major names in the TVWS device industry include KTS Wireless, Carlson, Adaptrum and Neul.[12] KTS Wireless’ Agile White Space Radio (AWR) was used in the first commercial white space deployment. Cambridge based Neul, a technology start-up has designed a new transceiver chip based on the Weightless white space communications standard. Adaptrum's TV band White Space device, Model ACRS 1.0, was approved by FCC in April 2012. It was authorized to operate in the entire UHF TV band with an output EIRP close to 36 dBm, the FCC’s power limit. However, a white spaces gadget, such as a laptop with embedded white spaces connectivity will take one to two years to come to market.[27]

Spectrum Databases Geo location or spectrum management databases are essential for dynamic spectrum sharing to maximize the use and benefit of spectrum. A database allows spectrum to be used by another party when it’s not in use by the primary user. Dynamic spectrum sharing allows registered devices to query a database and determine, for a given location, what frequencies can be used while protecting licensed entities and wireless microphone signals from harmful interference.[9][48]

Spectrum Bridge was approved as the first white spaces database provider by the FCC in December 2011. Later New Jersey based Telcordia was also given approval and in June 2013, the FCC approved Google’s plan to operate a database[38][41]. There are other ten companies, including Microsoft, which are working on similar databases.[14]

If not spectrum databases, Cognitive Radio is a competing technology that can be used for dynamic spectrum management. Cognitive radio intelligently uses the best wireless channels in its vicinity. It automatically detects the available channels in the wireless spectrum, the accordingly changes its transmission or reception parameters. As of the time of writing this report, there is no commercially feasible cognitive radio solution.[7]

Figure 3 - Spectrum Database (Source: iConnectiv Presentation) 1.4 Applications of TVWS Fundamentally, spectrum being a scarce resource, white space technology is being used to meet growing local demand by using spectrum that would have otherwise remained fallow. The major predicted and demonstrated applications of TVWS are;

1. Rural wireless broadband networks:

The ability of TVWS networks to travel seamlessly through obstructions and rough terrain is particularly beneficial for rural areas with low to zero mobile network coverage. In California, a rural ISP, Cal.net, built a TVWS service using RuralConnect, a set of base station antennas and white space broadband radios made by the manufacturer Carlson. The installation has demonstrated speeds between 6-16 Mbps. In difficult terrain, this technology can also be used for backhaul i.e. connecting access points to the core transmission network.[36]

2. Machine to machine applications:

In smart grids for utilities, TVWS can be used to improve meter to meter communication, especially in grids across difficult terrain. This allows operators to

manage the utilities system remotely. TVWS has been dubbed the ‘Internet of things’[10] because unlike mobile networks, it provides machines with dedicated communications channels and standards to cope with high numbers of user nodes and low cost and maintenance requirements. Because low-frequency broadcast requires low power, white space is ideal for connecting devices and sensors with small, long-lasting batteries. [16][35]

3. Smartphones for broadband access applications:

Some of the current bandwidth crunch is a result of the growing popularity of smartphones as well as media tablets like the iPad. For these devices white-space is offering a third alternative that will rival cable and telephone broadband for access to the internet.[58]

4. Local Wi-Fi networks for schools, colleges and other institutions:

West Virginia University recently became a pioneer when it launched a Wi-Fi network based on unused spectrum in the TVWS band. This service is being offered in conjunction with AIR (Advanced Internet Regions), a consortium of Higher Education Groups with Microsoft and has been created to deploy bandwidth to underserved college communities.[8][52][53][56]

5. Local TV stations:

Ofcom, the UK communications regulator, has allowed local TV channels to broadcast in the TVWS spectrum, which aren’t used for existing broadcasts locally. This move is in the interest of creating content that is of relevance to local communities.[3]

Other than the above applications, better connectivity has positive implications in other fields like agriculture, telemedicine in healthcare, sensor networks in construction, traffic monitoring etc.

1.5 Adoption of TVWS Other than the implementations mentioned above, TVWS has been put on trial across the world to gauge the technology’s technical and commercial robustness. The UK and the US have been at the forefront of market testing TVWS applications and in trying to bring it

United Kingdom To test the viability of providing wireless broadband coverage in rural areas, a TVWS trial was done on the Isle of Bute, off the coast of Scotland, which ran from April 2011 to September 2012. The trial was conducted by the University of Strathclyde, the UK Technology Strategy Board and a consortium of commercial providers that included British Telecom (BT). A mast connected to BT’s backhaul was erected on the island, and custom access points were installed at eight properties. The network was tested by streaming media over it. The trial proved the technical viability of using white space devices to provide broadband.[35]

In Cambridge, the Cambridge TV White Spaces Consortium successfully trialled a ten month TVWS network between 2011 and 2012. The consortium explored and measured a range of applications — rural wireless broadband, urban pop-up coverage and the emerging “machine-to-machine” communication — and found TV white spaces can be successfully utilised to help satisfy the rapidly accelerating demand for wireless connectivity.

For the implementation, the consortium set up five base stations in the city centre. These base stations were connected to TVWS antennas mounted on rooftops allowing considerably more coverage than could have been achieved with conventional Wi-Fi. [6][28]

United States The world’s first commercial white space network went online in the city of Wilmongton, North Carolina in January 2012. The system used Spectrum Bridge database with white space radios from KTS Wireless and access points and cameras from various vendors. Wilmington was chosen as the site of the first commercial network because, as the first U.S. city to shift from analogue to digital TV, it had early access to white spaces.

Kenya Microsoft’s 4Afrika initiative aims to bring high-speed and affordable access to smart devices. As part of this, Microsoft deployed a TVWS network in conjunction with Kenyan government officials. The network currently serves a health care clinic, a primary and

Due to the lack of stable access to electricity, the network is powered by solar panels. The Kenya white spaces network starts with a solar-powered base station, which connects back to fibre access from an internet service provider (ISP). This base station sends signals to the schools, health care clinic, and library, which have "two-headed" devices that act as both white space receivers and Wi-Fi hotspots. These devices take the white space signal and distribute wireless Internet access via the 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi airwaves that typical consumer devices can connect to.[37][42]

Microsoft’s also offering similar services in Tanzania, establishing a pilot in Dar es Salaam that will use the technology to bring wireless broadband to university students in Tanzania's largest city.[25]

South Africa In South Africa, a study supported by the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA), is in motion and is sponsored by Google. The trial, which consists of a base station located at the Tygerberg Hospital in Cape Town and will involve 10 schools located within a 10 km radius of the hospital.

Google is paying for the equipment, installation and drawing up of the frequency database. ICASA has stipulated that this database needs to be publicly accessible so that future interested parties don’t have to develop their own. The purpose of the trial is to attempt to show that broadband can be offered over white spaces without interfering with licensed spectrum holders. To prevent interference with other channels, the network uses Google’s spectrum database to determine white space availability. To confirm results, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Meraka Institute will take spectrum measurements and frequently report back to ICASA and the local broadcasters.[2][21][42][46][47][51]

2. Regulation across the world

2.1 Regulation in the USA[15][44]

Regulatory body: Federal Communications Commission (FCC) After approving the use of white spaces by unlicensed radio transmitters in 2008, the FCC released a final set of rules in 2010 to guide this usage. These rules mainly aim to prevent interference between the licensed spectrum users and the unlicensed TV white space devices.

 The FCC permitted what it classified as either fixed or mobile (portable) devices to both operate within the unused spaces. Both types of devices were required to have their locations determined before reaching out to a database to figure out the spectrum availability in their locations  The FCC determined the geo-location capability of the devices to be vital for preventing interference to the existing TV channels. It is in keeping with this idea that it rejected a particular class of white space devices that did not possess these capabilities as they can be moved without their location being updated, which can lead to interference  Information that needs to be disclosed to the databases to be searched by white space devices is to be made publicly available  Large event venues where multiple unlicensed wireless microphones are used can register themselves with the databases in order to be protected from potential interference from white space devices  The rules also state that Multiple Video Distribution Systems (MVDS) and Low Power TV stations should register their receive sites so that they can be provided protection from interference from white space devices[54]

2.2 Regulation in the UK[18][29][45]

Regulatory Body: The Office of Communications (Ofcom) Ofcom has formulated its policies regarding white spaces with the following three objectives in mind:

 Facilitate access to TV white spaces

 Protect the incumbent users, namely Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) and Programme Making and Special Events (PMSE)  Minimize the regulatory burden

Ofcom’s current regulatory framework focuses on the operational relationship between White Space Devices (WSD) and White Space Databases (WSDB) and Ofcom. According to the framework:

 WSDs can operate within UHF TV band as long as it does not interfere with the incumbents  WSDs need to comply with certain requirements in order to be exempt from license requirements  WSDs can only operate on those parameters specified by WSDBs. The parameters set by the WSDBs will be based on information that will protect the incumbents  WSDBs need to comply with certain Ofcom requirements in order to become qualified WSDBs. Ofcom releases a list of qualified WSDBs which help WSDs identify them.  WSDBs are required to provide parameters to WSDs on a non-discriminatory basis. They may also offer value-added services in case they wish to. Ofcom does not have a cap on the number of qualified WSDBs

To be able to implement its regulatory framework, Ofcom has proposed certain technical and operational requirements that need to be put in place. These requirements are based on device, operational and channel usage requirements.

 Device requirements include those details that WSDs need to share with WSDBs including their geographical location and certain relevant characteristics of that device.  Operational parameters are those that the WSDB in turn provides the WSDs to be able to transmit without interfering with the existing services  Channel usage parameters are the frequencies at which the WSD will transmit in the TV bands

These proposed requirements have been defined in order to keep the WSDs and WSDBs to operate within the constraints of available frequencies and to check harmful interferences.

2.3 Regulation in Canada[33][39]

Regulatory Body: Industry Canada (Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission) As in the other countries, Industry Canada must first define certain technical and operational parameters to ensure smooth functioning and to avoid interferences between the white spaces and the incumbents. A database system needs to be put in place to give the white space devices enough information to function in available frequencies. To this end, Industry Canada invited policy ideas from the private sector. The policies suggested were as follows:

 Databases must be administered by third party private players who will be chosen through a competitive procedure.  A competitive database market, it is believed, will ensure that there is no problem of monopoly pricing while also encouraging value added services.  It will also prevent a conflict of interest between the broadband service providers and database administrators.

WSDBs will have to enter into contracts with Industry Canada and must comply with certain requirements.

Other Countries In South Africa, the regulatory body Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) are awaiting the results of the trial undertaken with the support of Google to formulate its rules regarding TVWS. In Singapore, Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA), is the regulator and it intends to set up a license-exempt framework for TVWS devices.

PART 2 : THE INDIAN CONTEXT

3. Internet access in India[30] Telecom has been one of the fastest growing sectors in India and this growth trajectory is likely to continue. The tele-density in India increased from 1.6% (Rural 0.3% and Urban 4.8%) in March 1996 to 73.3% (Rural 41% and Urban 147%) as of March 2013. In spite of this revolution, the broadband penetration in India has remained low.

At 120 million, India has the third largest installed base of internet users in the world today. However, very few people have access to constant, 24/7 high quality internet connections. The number of internet connections in India is 15 million, of which 86%, or just 12.9 million, are estimated to be broadband connections. A look at the urban – rural split in Indian internet connections clearly exposes the digital divide that exists in this arena. While 70% of the population stays in villages, only 2% of them have access to Internet.

As a result, India today has a huge potential to double its economic contribution from the internet in the next few years. While internet currently contributes 1.6% of the GDP, we can increase this contribution to 2.8%-3.3% by 2015 by harnessing the digital dividend in areas such as e-governance, distance education, financial services (banking) etc. However, this growth warrants a growth in the number of users and internet technology related consumption and expenditure.

While the number of internet users is projected to grow to ~350 million users by 2015 from its current base, it should be noted that India is in a unique situation where users who access the internet uniquely through a mobile device are likely to be 55% of the installed user base. We believe that internet access solely through mobile devices puts a heavy load on existing telecom infrastructure and is not sufficient to help India realize the economic benefits associated with high internet penetration.

The main media for broadband provision in India are Cable, DSL and optical fibre that have high deployment costs in areas with low population density and low return on investments. Hence, the key reason for low penetration is the fundamental un-viability of providing broadband to Indian consumers in the present business scenario: Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) of USD 10, cost of provisioning of USD 1200 – 1500 per home.

As we look ahead, India needs an internet transformation which can be brought about only by reducing the cost of internet and high speed connectivity in rural and semi urban India. TVWS are a potential solution.

Figure 4 - India and the Internet (Source: McKinsey[30])

4. Potential Applications of TVWS in India As evident from above, the ‘digital divide’ is the direct result of a large number of people in rural India not having access to broadband. This puts them out of the ambit of multiple services like e-commerce, railway reservations, e-governance services, weather and crop information, online courses and education, banking and other financial services etc. Therefore rural broadband/backhaul is the foremost application for which TVWS can be put used to.[5]

India is ranked 20th in terms of mobile data speeds based on a ranking by Cisco systems. This leaves India behind the BRIC nations and other emerging economies like Indonesia. TVWS can provide an alternative means of access for mobile devices to connect to the internet. This can reduce some of the load on existing telecom infrastructure; it is estimated that smartphone data requirements are 24 times that of a basic-feature cell phone whereas tablets consume 5 times as much data as a smartphone.[19]

In addition, India has vast swathes of land that need to be monitored. These applications include monitoring critical infrastructure, smart metering for utilities, protecting borders and monitoring crop and weather data. All these applications include machine-to-machine communication and can be achieved by transmission through TVWS.

India’s multiple university campuses and centres of excellence are usually spread over large areas where multiple Wi-Fi repeaters are necessary to provide coverage. In addition, a large part of our urban centres lack Wi-Fi access and have only wired internet access. The long range of TVWS can be used to provide wide coverage hotspots in these areas.

5. Status of TVWS in India[11][20][26][31][34][40]

5.1 Current Spectrum Allocation for TV in India Current TV spectrum in India is allocated within the VHF and UHF frequency ranges. There are 12 channels (all allotted to Doordarshan) in the VHF range in Band I (41 – 68MHz) and Band III (174 – 230MHz). Additionally, there are 49 channels in the UHF range in Band IV (470 – 582MHz) and Band V (585 – 806MHz). Transmission occurs in slots of 6-8MHz in each band.

Steps have been taken by the Government to free up spectrum lying in the analogue broadcasting spectrum. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting issued a notification on 11 November 2011 setting 31 March 2015 as the deadline for complete shift from analogue to digital systems. This shift will free up unused spectrum. This move has the potential to provide India the digital dividend observed elsewhere in the world. However, compliance with this directive has been an issue in many states e.g. West Bengal.

5.2 TV White Spaces in India Multiple research studies have concluded that there is a high amount of unused TV spectrum currently in India.

1. As seen in Exhibit A, a research study conducted at IIT Delhi found that only 10% of the TV spectrum in the 500-600MHz range is occupied in India. Similar sweeps done across the TV spectrum found that most of the frequency spectrum (470-698 MHz) actually is lying vacant. This band remains highly underutilized in India primarily because of the following reasons:

 There are very few terrestrial TV broadcasting stations which only include the state run Doordarshan (DD1), DD Metro, DD News and other regional channels, as opposed to Europe and US where all available TV bands have been used.  The usage pattern of the band changes with geo-location and in rural and semi- urban areas remains unutilized owing to fewer broadcasters and licensed microphone users.

2. As seen in Exhibit B, a study was conducted by an IIT Bombay research group to understand utilization in the UHF band in Mumbai, Pune and Ajmer. They concluded that spectrum in all three bands (470 – 585MHz, 585 – 698MHz and 698 – 806MHz) is currently unutilised in Mumbai, whereas the bands 585 – 698MHz and 698 – 806MHz are unutilized in Pune and Ajmer.

3. A similar study by IIT Hyderabad1 analyzed availability of TVWS in South India. They concluded that on average, 7 out of 12 VHF channels are available and 32 out of 49 UHF channels are available for usage.

5.3 Existing Policy Stance By all accounts, the Government’s existing policy stance on TVWS in India is unclear. While an acknowledgement of the potential for TVWS has been made in a recent department of telecom note, the broadcasting ministry has requested for additional spectrum in the UHF V band for a series of new multiplexes for digital TV covering standard digital TV, HDTV and mobile TV. Additionally, there has been no specific mention of the Government’s stance towards TVWS in the NFAP 2011 document.

However, dialogue and discussion towards policy formulation for TVWS are underway, and some credible recommendations have been made, most prominently by an IITB research group comprising of Shetty, Mishra and Karandikar. They propose a light licensing approach towards TVWS in India to meet the objectives of home grown technical innovation, potential for developing Indian network standards in this field, drive rural innovation and

1 The study also indicated a high availability of white spaces in the GSM spectrum. While the same presents very interesting possibilities for the role of regulation, the same has not been considered by us for the purpose of this report as we have limited our scope to TVWS.

 Following a phased development approach. Initiate geo-location databases in the short run and selectively adopt best practices going forward  Setting power limits for TVWS operations similar to license exempt limits that are already being followed elsewhere  Guaranteeing interference protection to existing players  Defining tolerance limits to ensure QoS and avoid cross channel leakages e.g. multiple operators using the same channel

6. What should the regulator do? The success of TVWS white spaces as a concept lies in the idea of spectrum sharing that will allow efficient use of spectrum without interference with existing players. Sharing spectrum is essential because clearing the old analogue TV bands and reallocating them will involve significant amount of time and money. Lack of clarity regarding the frequency bands offered will put a dampener on innovation and standardization as well. Auctions in India are also plagued by a multitude of administrative and governance problems. In this scenario, sharing will allow urgent and efficient use of spectrum.

6.1 Licensing[13] A quick look through the actions of different regulators across the globe reveal that Canada, the US and the UK have used light licensing or license-exempt operation of TVWS. While both the US and Canada have freed ~300 MHz for TVWS, the UK is evaluating the results of pilot trials. In license-exempt operation, the regulator does not grant exclusive licenses but rather lays down interference protection guidelines and uses technical rules to achieve operational safeguards.

It goes without saying that license-exempt spectrum will spur innovation and investment because there are lowers barriers to entry. Today, for PC’s and laptops license-exempt spectrum carries 57% of the total traffic. It is our recommendation that license-exempt use of spectrum with clear and enforceable technical rules is the way forward for TVWS. This

6.2 Interference There are two ways of preventing harmful interference between devices and protecting the operation of incumbent users: geo location databases and spectrum sensing/cognitive radio. Cognitive radio remains commercially untested as of now and therefore India will need to take the lead of other nations in allowing TVWS databases. Operating devices will need to contact databases that contain frequency information about existing incumbents and other WSDs operating in the vicinity. The querying WSD can operate in a particular frequency only after receiving permission from a database and can be disabled if there is risk of harmful interference. White space devices will need to query the database every 24 hours or when moved. Databases must synchronize data and provide identical results. Therefore, they need to interact with other databases as well. Additionally, the databases also need to provide the power requirements for the white space devices and communicate it to them.

This raises the question of who operates the database and how database operations can be monetized. Databases are best run by commercial entities; however, in the interests of competition, there needs to be multiple private entities operating these. The role of the regulator should remain limited to:

 Approving databases and maintaining a list of approved databases that the WSD can access  Providing a list of protected entities that need to be protected from interference  Regulating and standardizing the information that needs to be transmitted from WSDs to the database  Specifying power requirements to ensure smooth operation  Specifying database update frequency  Ensuring uniformity of output across different databases  Penalizing database providers for incorrect information

As of now, geo location databases are being set up by various entities in the interest of larger internet penetration and are therefore free to access. However, given the complexity

IDFB Course Project Submission by G10 – Arpit | Ashwin | Harini | Nupur |Pallavi | Richa Page 26 of maintaining this information and the growth of devices that is slated to occur, this model might not prove robust. There can be three methods of monetizing the database:[17]

 Payment from the regulator (akin to viability gap funding): This would be the least preferred option mainly because there would be no foolproof way of quantifying the value that is associated with providing these services. Also, as the number of database providers increase, government payments will increase. This provides a perverse incentive for the regulator to restrict competition.  Hybrid pricing: This is a mix of a registration fee and service plan scheme for the device manufacturers or the users. Payments from users would meet with considerable resistance and go against the stated goal of providing wide access. Therefore, the most viable scheme seems to be white space device manufacturers paying a registration fee to the database administrators. Since the device ID is passed to the database while the device queries it, this feature can be used to identify whether the device manufacturer has registered its devices with the database. Regulation is necessary here to ensure fair pricing for device manufacturers.  Indirect revenue streams: There are other ways of monetizing user data like location based advertising and search suggestions.

6.3 Standards Standardization is important to achieve a common market and economies of scale while manufacturing devices. Of the various standards that have been proposed for the WSD interface, the regulator should support open rather than proprietary standards. The communication protocol between the database and the device also needs to be standardized. These include the parameters exchanged, the format of the parameters and security protocols. However, this is not a job for the regulator, but rather for industry alliances and technical associations.

However, the permitted device powers and the algorithm to determine available channels need not be standardized. This is because these values are usually country specific and need to managed differently according to country specific constraints.

7. A Framework for India Based on the deliberations above, the following framework can be used for India:

Licensing Databases • Identification of TVWS frequencies by the • Databases to be administered by multiple regulator private players • License exempt approach to these • Regulator involved in specifying technical frequencies criteria and certification • Databases make money through hybrid and indirect pricing schemes

White Space Framework

Standards Projected Applications • Standardization of technology standards • Rural backhaul and communication protocols • Mobile internet • Device power requirements and sensing • Monitoring algorithms to be country specific • Wide-coverage hotspots

Figure 5 – TVWS Framework for India For achieving the above objectives, we recommend that the following steps be undertaken by the regulator:

• Invite discussions on white space access

• Determine set of frequencies for license-exempt white space use

• Lay down requirements for database certification; begin certifying DBs on FCFS basis

• Specify communication protocols and noise levels while leaving industry to work out monetization and choice of technology

• Implement a pilot program; both rural and urban to determine interference levels

• Review the pilot program results and allow full-fledged operation

Figure 6 – Chronology of TVWS Implementation

Consumer devices like laptops that can receive and transmit in the TVWS range will take a couple of years to begin mass production and hit the market. Until then, consumer premise equipment will need to be two-headed, i.e. have the ability to transmit and receive both Wi- Fi and TVWS signal, so that the benefits of TVWS can reach all.

Figure 7 – Sample TVWS network

(Source: http://google-africa.blogspot.de/2013/03/announcing-new-tv-white-spaces-trial-in.html) TV white spaces are an important test case that will be a measure of whether dynamic and license-exempt use of spectrum can help in reaching those who have been left by the wayside in the internet revolution. The key here is to protect the interests of existing players while allowing white space devices to function. Our recommendation of using a light licensing approach that specifies device power requirements and protocols while leaving the market to decide on technology standards and devices will foster innovation and lower

8. Exhibits

Exhibit A: TVWS Sensing By IIT Delhi Source: White Space Detection and Spectrum Characterization in the NCR – Vinay Ribeiro, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, IIT Delhi

Exhibit B: TVWS Sensing By IIT Bombay Source: Quantitative Assessment of TV White Space in India – Sudesh Singhal, Gaurang Naik, Animesh Kumar, Abhay Karandikar and Ashok Chandra, Department of Electrical Engineering, IIT Bombay

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