First TV White Space Deployment in Oman

TV White Space (TVWS) equipment utilizes vacant channels of the UHF TV broadcast spectrum to deliver broadband wireless services resulting from legacy TV channel plans. TV band spectrum is largely underutilized in most places most of the time and provides abundant spectrum that can be used for broadband wireless. The spectrum is accessed using innovative dynamic access techniques, which makes the spectrum available on an unlicensed basis while avoiding any interference to existing broadcast services. Because of the low sub-GHz frequency of the spectrum, TVWS technology achieves non-line-of-sight (NLOS) long-range coverage, better than higher frequency unlicensed bands (i.e. 2.4GHz, 5GHz, etc.).  Abundant spectrum, free (unlicensed) use, and long-range propagation, make TVWS ideal for delivering wireless broadband services.

In this pilot project in Oman, client sites include schools under the Ministry of Education, an Oman Broadband point of presence (POP), and residential villas. It was conducted in the suburbs of the capital, Muscat city, with wide spread hilly terrains and scattered buildings in between the links. The result of the trial was positive with up to 20 Mbps delivered over distances of 4 to 10+ Km. It has demonstrated the superior performance of Adaptrum devices in penetrating trees and concrete buildings without line-of-sight.

Oman Broadband CEO Eng. Said Al-Mandhari says, "Universal access to broadband in Oman is essential to unlock the potential and boost growth in an increasingly knowledge-based economy, and Oman Broadband has been tasked with rolling out broadband infrastructure to provide that access.  The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) of Oman mandated us to conduct trials of TVWS technology. The combination of coverage and capacity, delivered by TVWS Technology using Adaptrum's solution, enables us to extend the reach of our broadband infrastructure especially for remote and rural areas."

"A lot of advance preparation work was carried out before launching the pilot. The throughput results are excellent and TVWS technology can offer a cost-effective solution to deliver broadband connectivity to underserved areas in the Sultanate of Oman with added advantage of rapid deployment and cost efficiencies," said Mr. Ajay Kapoor who lead the company's project team.

"Adaptrum have proven in over 25 countries across 5 continents, that TVWS is the affordable solution for connecting unconnected communities," said Haiyun Tang, CEO of Adaptrum.  "With this deployment, Oman Broadband and Adaptrum have proven that Adaptrum's solution provide the performance and reliability needed to address the digital divide throughout Oman and across the Middle East."

Eng. Khalfan Al-Amri Head of Technology Development says "With this successful pilot, Oman Broadband is looking ahead to a nationwide rollout of TVWS technology into underserved communities like remote and rural areas to deliver high speed broadband at affordable prices. Oman Broadband is also exploring providing communications to enterprises in the remote rural areas as an alternative to costly satellite based services."

About Adaptrum

Driving both technical and regulatory innovations, Adaptrum has pioneered the use of previously underutilized TV White Space spectrum. Founded by leading experts in wireless communications, our creative and experienced team is committed to fundamentally changing the wireless industry and enabling universally affordable broadband.

About Oman Broadband

Oman Broadband Company was founded in 2014 as a joint-stock company wholly owned by the Government of the Sultanate of Oman. Unlocking the potential for greater connectivity and productivity, while enabling the knowledge economy, the role of Oman Broadband is vital for transforming the nation's online experience. The next generation broadband infrastructure network will deliver an exponentially faster and broader online experience, bringing benefits to society and the business sector with an enhanced delivery of communication services, cost savings, increased competitiveness and improved sustainability.

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SOURCE Adaptrum

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