THE Internet-penetration rate in the Philippines can be hiked at a faster pace should the country decide to adopt a technology that allows the utilization of the unused spectrum in the television broadcast-frequency range, a ranking official of a broadband-manufacturing company said over the weekend.
Cirtek Advanced Technologies and Solutions Inc. CEO Alvin Guzon said TV White Space, a solution that allows the use of bands currently unlicensed, can help the Philippines increase its Internet-penetration rate as it has “superior propagation and penetration characteristics allowing for wider network coverage.”
He said that, while traditional microwave networks require substantial equipment and infrastructure due to the line-of-sight transmission requirement, TV White Space can traverse rugged terrain, foliage and other barriers with minimal requirements.
Hence, the new technology can provide a cost-effective and quick-deployment solution for the rural areas and other last-mile locations.
“There has been a tremendous growth in the number of connections to the Internet in the past decade. With connectivity now a basic need, this trend is expected to continue,” he said.
The World Bank said Internet penetration in the Philippines is currently at 37 percent.
“But despite this growth, a large percentage is still unserved, particularly in developing countries and certain regions in developed countries. With the demand increasing every day, the networks are becoming congested in urban areas,” Guzon said.
In urban areas the TV White Space technology can be used to add capacity by complementing the existing crowded network. With the “Internet of Things” emerging and expected to connect billions of devices, the solution also provides another means to allow devices to communicate with one another, as well as to the Internet.
Several countries are in the process of establishing regulations on the technology. There are deployed pilot networks now in the United States, Europe, Africa and Asia. In the Philippines there is pioneer network of over 100 sites in Bohol launched by the Department of Science and Technology Information and Communication Technology Office as part of a health program with the Department of Health.
Cirtek Advanced Technologies has been engaging with the pioneering companies here and with a US-based company producing TV White Space radios.
Guzon said recent customer visits and requests for quotes indicate that there is interest in working with his company on the technology. His firm is a subsidiary of listed semiconductor manufacturer Cirtek Philippines Holdings Corp.