MANILA, Philippines – A new technology is being made available to enable faster rollout of Internet connectivity in the country, according to a unit of semiconductor and broadband manufacturing firm Cirtek Holdings Philippines Corp.
Cirtek Advanced Technologies and Solutions Inc. (Cirtek ATS) said the new technology Television White Space (TVWS) enables the utilization of the unused spectrum in the TV broadcast frequency range.
The technology, also called Super Wi-Fi, allows the use of bands that are currently unlicensed.
In addition, it has superior propagation and penetration characteristics allowing for wider network coverage.
Cirtek ATS chief executive officer Alvin Guzon said while the use of the Internet has been growing rapidly, a large percentage of the population in developing countries including the Philippines is not being served.
“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.
“But despite this growth, a large percentage is still unserved particularly in developing countries and certain regions in developed countries. Furthermore, with the demand increasing everyday, the networks are becoming congested in urban areas,” he said.
Through the TVWS technology, he said there would be a cost-effective and quick deployment solution for the rural areas and other last-mile locations as such can traverse rugged terrain, foliage and other barriers with minimal requirements.
In the urban areas, Guzon said the TVWS system can be used to add capacity by complementing the existing crowded network.
Several countries are currently in the process of establishing regulations on the technology, while pilot networks have been deployed in the US, Europe, Africa and Asia.
In the Philippines, Cirtek ATS has been engaged with the pioneering company and with a US-based company producing TV White Space radios.
Citing recent customer visits and requests for quotes, Guzon said there is interest in working with Cirtek ATS on the technology.
Cirtek ATS is a total manufacturing solutions partner for telecommunications, satellite communications, semiconductor test boards, industrial and automotive equipment in low/medium/high volumes, and high mix applications.