Google is continuing its campaign to provide better Internet connectivity through improved spectrum usage, after it announced a fresh trial for 10 schools in Cape Town, South Africa. These educational institutions will have access to wireless broadband over a white space network, which takes advantage of “white spaces” – channels in the broadcast TV spectrum that are unused or dormant. Three base stations located at Stellenbosch University’s Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences in Tygerberg, Cape Town will be used to broadcast the signal. Google says that because the unused white space travels on a low-frequency, it should be able to travel much longer distances. This makes it a good fit for the Cape Town area, which holds many rural communities with little or no telecommunications infrastructure, as well as more densely populated urban areas, where connectivity could still be improved.
About Shelly Palmer
Shelly Palmer is the Professor of Advanced Media in Residence at Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and CEO of The Palmer Group, a consulting practice that helps Fortune 500 companies with technology, media and marketing. Named LinkedIn’s “Top Voice in Technology,” he covers tech and business for Good Day New York, is a regular commentator on CNN and writes a popular daily business blog. He's a bestselling author, and the creator of the popular, free online course, Generative AI for Execs. Follow @shellypalmer or visit shellypalmer.com.