Globe first in Philippines to pilot white space broadband

Filipino full-service operator Globe Telecom has launched the country’s first pilot service using TV white space frequencies for mobile broadband, reports TelecomAsia. The pilot – in collaboration with the ICT office of the Department of Science & Technology – aims to develop the usage of white space technology to help Globe roll out broadband to rural areas with low population density, where conventional infrastructure proves economically unviable, according to the telco’s senior vice president for network technologies strategy Emmanuel Estrada. TV white spaces are the unused frequencies between UHF and VHF broadcast TV channels, within the range of 54MHz to 806MHz, and exhibit long distance propagation and strong signal penetration. The first locations receiving Globe’s pilot service are the island provinces of Bohol and Cebu.