DOST’s TV White Space project helps 3 quake-hit Bohol towns

MANILA, Philippines - The quick implementation of the Department of Science and Technology’s Television White Space (TVWS) pilot project in Bohol where unused TV frequencies were tapped to provide Internet connectivity has helped three earthquake-hit municipalities rise from the ruins of last year’s magnitude 7.2 earthquake.

DOST Undersecretary Louis Casambre, head of the DOST’s Information and Communications Technology Office (ICTO), said the successful installation of radio transmitters to provide connectivity to the municipalities of Tubigon, Ubay and Talibon, helped in emergency response and relief efforts after the earthquake.

The Internet connectivity provided by the TVWS technology continues to benefit local government units and national government agencies in delivering basic government services to the people of the three municipalities.

The successful pilot implementation of the TVWS technology in Bohol, pursued in partnership with Filipino-Singaporean TVWS technology firm Nityo Infotech, showed the potential of the emerging technology to be the most cost-efficient medium to provide information communication technology to rural areas that are not served by local telecommunication companies, Casambre said.

The White Space initiative is an attempt to resolve connectivity issues in unserved areas in the country as well as provide data connectivity for essential public services by tapping unused TV frequencies.

TVWS is seen as a low-cost connectivity solution for communities or serve to complement existing Internet services provided by telcos.

The Philippines is only the fourth country in the world to have a government-initiated program for TVWS, following Singapore, South Africa and Kenya.

The DOST-ICTO started its TV White Space initiative in 2012 to find ways of maximizing unutilized TV frequencies for data communications, such as those needed for government services such as e-learning, telehealth and telemedicine, environmental sensors such as those used by the DOST’s NOAH project, as well as provide basic Internet access for areas outside the commercial coverage of telcos.

“The plan initially was to use TVWS as a public service, allowing connectivity for education, electronic or e-health, e-government services, environmental sensor networks such as those used by PAGASA and DOST’s Project NOAH as well as Internet access in public places such as barangay halls and plazas,” Casambre said.