TV White Space networks are gaining momentum worldwide as an important addition to the suite of wireless protocols available for connecting de-veloping regions. However, there has been no thorough investigation of scenarios where TV White Space performs better or worse than alternative low-cost wire-less technology such as WiFi. This paper analyzes the performance of 5 GHz WiFi links and TV White space links using down-converted WiFi, typically used as wireless backhaul for poorly connected regions, in different scenarios include-ing line-of-sight links and links obstructed by trees and structures. The experi-ments make use of 802.11a/b/g WiFi and TV White Space equipment that down-converts standard 802.11 a/b/g WiFi from the 2.4 GHz band into the UHF band. The paper finds that 5 GHz links outperformed TVWS where clear line-of-sight is available and point-to-point links are required. TVWS however is a clear choice where there are obstructions and where wider coverage is needed. Some interesting observations on the negative effect of TV transmissions in adjacent channels a few channel-hops away from the channel being used for TVWS are also provided.
Reference:
Johnson, D., Zlobinsky, N., Lysko, A.A. et al. 2016. Head to head battle of TV white space and WiFi for connecting developing regions. 8th EAI International Conference on e-Infrastructure and e-Services for Developing Countries (AFRICOMM), 6-7 December 2016, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
Johnson, D., Zlobinsky, N., Lysko, A. A., Lamola, M., Hadzic, S., Maliwatu, R., & Densmore, M. (2016). Head to head battle of TV white space and WiFi for connecting developing regions. http://hdl.handle.net/10204/9230
Johnson, David, Natasha Zlobinsky, Albert A Lysko, Magdeline Lamola, S Hadzic, R Maliwatu, and M Densmore. "Head to head battle of TV white space and WiFi for connecting developing regions." (2016): http://hdl.handle.net/10204/9230
Johnson D, Zlobinsky N, Lysko AA, Lamola M, Hadzic S, Maliwatu R, et al, Head to head battle of TV white space and WiFi for connecting developing regions; 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/10204/9230 .