Colombia Becomes First Country in Latin America to Finalise TV White Space Regulations

The Dynamic Spectrum Alliance (DSA) applauds Agencia Nacional del Espectro (ANE), the Colombian spectrum regulatory agency, for publishing its final regulation for TV White Space (TVWS).

Colombia is now the first country in Latin America to finalise its TVWS regulations, resulting in a huge boost for the country to leverage better connectivity and social and economic inclusion.

TVWS technology uses otherwise unused or unassigned spectrum in the UHF and VHF bands otherwise allocated for broadcasting. TVWS-based technologies operate on a secondary basis without causing interference to primary users, such as broadcast licensees. TVWS technology has been deployed in dozens of projects all over the world, showcasing its ability to inexpensively deliver broadband and other forms of connectivity over large geographical areas.

ANE’s achievement comes just 16 months after it co-hosted the DSA Global Summit 2016 in Bogota, Colombia. During the Summit, regulators, policy makers and key stakeholders came together to discuss the central objectives for good spectrum policy including; the promotion of knowledge around spectrum, the promotion of innovative spectrum management, the promotion of technical neutrality and competition and the efficient use of spectrum and transparency.

The achievements and efforts of ANE were also recognized during the Dynamic Spectrum Alliance Awards in May 2017, where ANE Director General Dr. Martha Liliana Suárez Peñaloza was presented with the Award for Innovation in Dynamic Spectrum Access Policies.

“We congratulate the Government of Colombia and ANE for becoming the first in Latin America to finalize its TV White Space regulations, and applaud the way ANE has continually advocated for innovative spectrum policies to benefit Colombia’s citizens,” said Kalpak Gude, President of the Dynamic Spectrum Alliance. “Dr. Suárez and ANE have been fully committed during this journey to explore alternative ways to use spectrum to connect the unconnected people of Colombia. They are true leaders in bridging the digital divide, and have set a great example for the rest of Latin America to follow.”

Many commercial applications for TVWS regulations are already in use in projects around the world, including in Europe, North America and Africa. These technologies and developments will be discussed at the 2018 DSA Global Summit, which will be held in Europe for the first time.

“The achievements of ANE highlight our aim at the DSA to work with regulators and key stakeholders from around the world to encourage policy changes, which will enable dynamic spectrum access technologies to help make spectrum available in low-, mid-, and high-band spectrum to satisfy the requirements of densification and coverage, and do so in cost effective ways to enable successful and sustainable network deployments,” added Gude.