Tag: regulation
Spectrum and the Paradox of the ITU
The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) is a paradox. It is simultaneously an enabler and an obstacle to progress when it comes to radio spectrum. Formed in the late 19th century, one of the ITU’s key roles over time has been...
Why You Should Read TV White Spaces – A Pragmatic Approach
Marco Zennaro and Ermanno Pietrosemoli of the Abdus Salaam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) have put together a great collection of essays on TV White Spaces with an emphasis on their application in emerging markets. Entitled “TV White Spaces...
Spectrum — To License or Not To License
In part one of this series on Spectrum 2.0, I highlighted just how complex radio spectrum management is and why experts can’t seem to agree on whether we are running out of spectrum or entering an age of abundance. ...
Why Can’t Anyone Agree on Spectrum?
Electromagnetic spectrum is the crude oil of last-mile connectivity, especially in Africa where more traditional kinds of last-mile communication infrastructure are not especially well-developed. As in the oil business, anyone who has gained control of spectrum in the last ten...
Television White Spaces Spectrum in Africa
Last week I attended an event in Dakar entitled the TV White Spaces Africa Forum 2013. It was an event organised and largely sponsored by Google in partnership with a number of other organisations including Microsoft, Internet Society Senegal, Afrinic,...