Singapore's IDA Launches Public Consultation on TV White Space

SINGAPORE, June 17 (Bernama) -- The Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) on Monday announced the start of a public consultation on the use of TV White Space (TVWS) technology in Singapore. This consultation marks another step in IDA’s effort to leverage technology advancement to help Singapore develop as the first hyperconnected smart nation, IDA said in a statement. As demand for mobile communication increases, the availability of radio-frequency spectrum plays an important role in meeting this demand. One innovative technology that further optimises the use of spectrum resource is the TVWS technology, which is developed to enable opportunistic use of under-utilised spectrum within the TV broadcast spectrum channels in a cost-effective manner. Radio frequencies in the TVWS spectrum bands offer good propagation characteristics that allow wide area outdoor wireless coverage, better building penetration and potential for high-speed connectivity. The range of potential applications that could ride on TVWS technology include the provision of wireless broadband Internet access services, machine-to-machine connectivity, smart metering and outdoor environment or security monitoring networks. Singapore is one of the few countries in the world alongside countries like the United States and United Kingdom at the forefront of exploring the feasibility of such innovative use of spectrum resources. The public consultation on the proposed regulatory framework on TVWS discusses issues such as licensing mechanism for TVWS devices, TVWS spectrum bands and access mechanism, device co-existence criteria and parameters, and management of geo-location databases. The consultation will enable IDA to understand the industry’s needs and refine the regulatory framework to ensure that it is in line with international best practices and contextualised to the needs of Singapore’s market and business environment. --BERNAMA