Forward-thinking regulators, leading academics, cutting-edge technologists and pioneering businesspeople spoke at the second annual Dynamic Spectrum Alliance (DSA) Global Summit about the incredible future offered by new dynamic spectrum access technologies.
The latest pilots and studies show how innovative technology and great regulation are turning spectrum scarcity into spectrum abundance, increasing available bandwidth and reducing costs for consumers.
Experts with first-hand experience demonstrated how dynamic spectrum access can help governments, businesses, and communities deliver affordable access in the busiest cities and in the most remote countryside.
Sessions covered the latest technical advances, regulatory initiatives and strategies for ushering in the next leap forward in connectivity – from connecting the next four billion people to connecting the Internet of Things.
We heard from key global players on the dawning of spectrum abundance that will make practical the internet of things, smart cities and much more.
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Panelists will introduce some of the first certified and commercially available radios leveraging dynamics spectrum access technologies, discuss early efforts to develop standardized devices, and investigate what future innovations could mean for consumers in terms of the speed, bandwidth, and the cost of broadband connectivity.
Speakers
One of the key applications for TV white space and other forms of Dynamic Spectrum Access technology is providing more affordable wireless broadband to underserved, rural, and under-privileged communities. TV White Space deployments are demonstrating the potential of this technology to bridge the digital divide and provide affordable access to the Internet. Drawing from worldwide deployment experiences this panel will provide testimony on how the technology has worked, how it has impacted people's lives, business models that these technologies could enable, and what needs to be done to ensure that such efforts can be scaled to serve billions of people yet to be connected.
Speakers
In the last two years, we have seen significant regulatory developments in countries as diverse as the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Singapore. More recently, we are seeing a growing list of governments support commercial pilot projects leveraging the TV white spaces. Hear from some of the most innovative regulators in the world, who are developing and implementing the first TV white space regulations leveraging dynamic spectrum access technologies and techniques and how these early efforts can serve as a the model for other regulators worldwide.
Speakers
Presenters
H Nwana, Executive Director of the Dynamic Spectrum Alliance
Bettina Quimson, Deputy Executive Director for the Department of Science and Technology, Republic of the Philippines
H Nwana, Executive Director, Dynamic Spectrum Alliance
Charles Nsaliwa, Director General of the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA)
Paul Garnett, Chairman of the Board of the Dynamic Spectrum Alliance and Director, Technology Policy, Microsoft
If past is prologue, the world’s demand for wireless devices and bandwidth will continue to grow unabated. And the range of applications using wireless connections is ever expanding. What will connectivity look like in five, ten, even fifteen years from now? What wireless technologies and spectrum sharing techniques could address all of this growing demand? What sorts of regulations will need to be in place to accommodate future demands? This esteemed group of panelists will help address these questions and more.
Speakers
Shaddi Hasan, PhD student, Technology and Infrastructure for Emerging Regions, UC Berkeley
Richard Thanki, PhD student, University of Southampton
Dorothy K. Gordon, Director-General of the Advanced Information Technology Institute, Ghana-India Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence in ICT
Peter Lyons, Senior Director of Spectrum Policy, Middle East and Africa, GSMA
Cristian Gomez, Spectrum Regulation and Policy Officer, Radio Communication Bureau, International Telecommunications Union
Moderator
Steve Song, Wireless Spectrum Research Associate, Network Startup Resource Center (NSRC)
While the unserved and underserved will certainly benefit from spectrum sharing technologies and techniques, some of the biggest cities are starting to see the benefits of using wireless and other broadband technologies to more efficiently deliver government services and improve quality of life for citizens. One major application for Dynamic Spectrum Access techniques is enabling the evolving ‘Internet of Things’, 10s of billions on new connections most of which will be wireless, using different frequencies and technologies. Specific examples may include applications in infrastructure, environment and asset management, education and healthcare, disaster prevention and relief, power and water conservation. At the same time, enhanced hotspot, data offload, and in-building media distribution also are use cases better enabled with spectrum sharing technologies. All of these could contribute to a smarter, safer, and greener environment for citizens in countries big and small. Panelists will discuss how these applications are being enabled in pilot projects and deployments in their cities.
Speakers
Access to capital remains one of the greatest barriers to commercially sustainable investments in new technologies, especially in emerging markets. This challenge would certainly be true for companies looking to deploy cutting edge dynamic spectrum access technologies. This group of distinguished panellists representing regional and global economic development institutions will discuss various investment vehicles available for small and established companies ranging from grants to loans to equity to crowd-sourced investment.
Speakers
Field trials leveraging prototype and production TV white space and other software defined radios have demonstrated the technical feasibility of enabling opportunistic access to unused radio frequencies. Trial results have, in turn, given regulators the confidence they need to move forward with enabling license-exempt access to TV white spaces and other unassigned frequencies. Panelists involved in trials in locations as varied as Malawi, Scotland, South Africa, Singapore, the United States, and England will discuss key findings from trial reports, including some positive and negative surprises, and how these can be reflected in regulation. Panelists will also discuss opportunities for further work.
Speakers
Albert Enninful, Deputy Director General, National Communications Authority of Ghana
H Nwana, Executive Director of the Dynamic Spectrum Alliance
Click here for information on last year’s Global Summit that took place 18 November 2013 in Bangkok, Thailand.
