Page 152 - Trends in Telecommunication Reform 2016

services and apps, including radio-frequency licence-exempt framework). In fact, some old
spectrum and addressing resources. certainties and assignment methods that were
based on clear lines between licensed and license-
5.3.5.1 Spectrum exempt frameworks are beginning to blur – with
potentially uncertain results.
All wireless communications require radio
spectrum. New entrants have made their way Perhaps more can be done at a spectrum policy
into the sector by leveraging new spectrum level to provide a wider range of spectrum
access methods and new business models. As products.36 One idea is to enable a “staircase”
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a result, there is a proliferation of m-services and of spectrum access, matching levels of spectrum
applications, which adds pressure on regulators to access to diverse needs and funding constraints.
free up access to more spectrum for broadband This may, in turn, introduce spectrum access
wireless network access. Both licensed and methods that allow low- to no-cost access to
unlicensed spectrum is needed to support the spectrum, reduce barriers to entry and foster
digital ecosystem. more flexible methods of allocating, clearing,
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using and/or sharing spectrum. Additionally,
How should regulators respond to this pressure? database and sensing technologies are also driving
At this point the primary regulatory objectives will opportunistic sharing, challenging current licensing
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be threefold: (1) to ensure availability of adequate conventions.
spectrum to accommodate the increasing number
of apps and m-services being delivered over The momentum around Dynamic Spectrum Access
mobile or WiFi networks; (2) to avoid erecting (DSA) technology continues to gather, and in most
barriers on pricing or even competition; and (3) cases, it is initially targeted at the white spaces in
most importantly, to ensure that existing spectrum TV spectrum. DSA is an efficient and optimized
policies can help create an environment for technique of using under-utilized frequency
innovators to use spectrum as a resource for new bands to improve the way wireless devices access
technological goods and services. spectrum resources. In TV broadcast spectrum, for
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example, under-utilized channels -- known as TV
white spaces -- can be used to extend bandwidth
5.3.5.2 Incumbents versus new entrants capacity for wireless devices.

Legacy systems continue to pose roadblocks on Singapore, was one of the very early adopters of
the way to innovation. One of these barriers is DSA technology in its search for more bandwidth
the legacy method of spectrum allocation, which to meet the need for more connectivity. There
prescribes exclusive use and a high cost of access. are several ongoing commercial trials and pilots
This barrier to market entry and growth often worldwide – in the UK, Philippines, Ghana,
blocks innovation. Existing players tend not to be Kenya, Botswana and Namibia, to name a few.
interested in disruptive ideas, especially if there is In Africa, Microsoft has exclusively focused on
a threat to their revenues and profitability. Policy- demonstrating the technical feasibility of using
makers need to adopt transformative approaches TV white space technology to extend affordable
to guide future spectrum policy development and Internet in under-served areas, using solar power
encourage incremental innovation. It will be in off-grid areas. 39
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important to provide a transparent, market-based
mechanism for spectrum access and to eliminate Perspectives are not fully settled on adoption
any service and technology restrictions that of new spectrum access methods such as DSA.
may have been part of spectrum licences in the While they have been deployed commercially in
past. Those restrictions may not be valid within some countries, others have adopted a cautious
a converged environment and may restrict the approach. Going forward, regulators will engage
emerging, innovative ways that the spectrum can in a cost-benefit analysis between (1) using
be put to use. innovative means for spectrum access to bridge
the digital divide and obtain national coverage and
In an effort to find solutions to share existing (2) the implications of adopting a fixed or variable
spectrum, it is prudent to consider new, flexible (dynamic) power-level approach when it comes to
approaches to spectrum licensing (or within a TV White Space regulation.

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