South Boston, VA – Dec. 2, 2013– The Mid-Atlantic Broadband Communities Corporation (MBC), a successful wholesale open-access network transport provider, announced today the company has joined the Dynamic Spectrum Alliance, a global initiative to help governments address wireless data growth and close the digital divide by advocating for laws and regulations that increase dynamic access to unused wireless spectrum, also known as TV White Space.
MBC’s participation as a member of the Dynamic Spectrum Alliance allows MBC to advocate for the state of Virginia, participate in key legislative discussions around broadband innovation and engage in TV White Space trials, key efforts toward bridging the digital divide in rural areas throughout the state. MBC’s TV White space trials currently underway with wireless ISP’s in Pittsylvania County, Greensville County, and Appomattox County include using TV white spaces radio technology to extend wireless broadband coverage to unserved communities that are not able to access DSL, cable modems, or other wired broadband technologies.
TV White Space spectrum refers to unassigned or unused television band frequencies by existing broadcasts or other licensees. Television broadcasts occupy designated channels, with the assignment of channels to broadcasts varying by location. Not all the designated channels are in use for broadcast in any given market, giving rise to White Spaces in which a channel that is not used for broadcast may be available for other purposes.
Dynamic Spectrum Alliance advocates for dynamic spectrum access technologies which can opportunistically utilize unused and inefficiently used radio frequencies, white spaces spectrum, to create various forms of wireless connectivity. One near term opportunity to globally leverage such technologies is in the unused television band frequencies.
“MBC is built on the foundation of ensuring our unserved communities are not left further behind when it comes to broadband access,” said Tad Deriso, MBC President & CEO. “There are wireless LTE deployments that are advancing the availability of broadband and those are great, but we still see a growth area in unlicensed spectrum to serve our rural unserved communities in a cost effective manner. Through the efforts with the Dynamic Spectrum Alliance, this will pave the way for introducing innovative new wireless technologies to address the need to bridge the wireless data and digital divide challenges. We want to be a part of the solution to ensure this type of spectrum is available here in our community.”
MBC owns and operates an advanced 1,600 mile open-access fiber optic network offering fiber connectivity to more than 70 communication towers within MBC’s 15,000 square mile region. MBC’s network has enabled joint test-bed projects with research universities, wireless equipment manufacturers, communications service providers and internet companies.
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