Orkney TV White Space Pilot

Orkney TV White Space Pilot
Version 1.01
Orkney TV White Space Pilot Version 1.01
ii
Contents
Executive Summary ................................................................................................. iv
Acknowledgements ................................................................................................. vi
Glossary Of Terms .................................................................................................. vii
1 Introduction .................................................................................................... 1
2 Background and Context .................................................................................. 2
2.1 Project Partners ............................................................................................. 4
3 Network Overview........................................................................................... 6
3.1 CPE Nodes ...................................................................................................... 7
3.1.1 Ferries (P2N) ....................................................................................... 7
3.1.2 Fixed Premises (P2E) .......................................................................... 8
3.2 Infrastructure Nodes ...................................................................................... 9
4 Network Performance and User Experience ................................................... 10
4.1.1 Ferries (P2N) ..................................................................................... 10
4.1.2 Fixed Premises (P2E) ........................................................................ 14
5 Financial Considerations ................................................................................ 16
5.1 Capital Costs (CapEx).................................................................................... 16
5.1.1 Radio Equipment .............................................................................. 16
5.1.2 Infrastructure Nodes ........................................................................ 16
5.1.3 OSS/BSS Set-Up Costs ...................................................................... 17
5.2 Operating Costs (OpEx) ................................................................................ 17
5.3 Summary ...................................................................................................... 18
6 Summary & Conclusion .................................................................................. 19
6.1 Next Steps – 5G RuralFirst ........................................................................... 20
Appendices ............................................................................................................ 22
A Infrastructure Nodes...................................................................................... 22
A.1 Internet PoP at Ayre of Cara ........................................................................ 22
A.2 Wideford Hill ................................................................................................ 23
A.3 Sandy Hill ...................................................................................................... 24
A.4 Keelylang ...................................................................................................... 26
A.5 Power Station ............................................................................................... 27
A.6 Sanday Pier ................................................................................................... 28
A.7 Westray Pier ................................................................................................. 29
iii
Executive Summary
In September 2015, the Scottish Government awarded a grant to the University of Strathclyde’s
Centre for White Space Communications (CWSC) to deliver a TV White Space (TVWS) pilot in Orkney.
The project built upon previous work to test and validate the use of White Space techniques for
connecting extreme rural locations and to explore whether a similar solution may be used on a wider
scale to support The Scottish Government’s world-class digital aspirations.
In many countries, including the UK, analogue television broadcasts have been, or are in the
process of being, switched off and replaced by more spectrally efficient digital television
transmissions, and the ‘white spaces’ that exist in the UHF TV band (470 MHz - 790 MHz in ITU
Region 1) have good propagation and building penetration characteristics. This potentially makes
them suitable for use in rural broadband applications, where transmission links may be several
kilometres in length and may involve challenging terrain such as hills, foliage, and water.
A number of spectrum regulators, notably the US regulator (FCC) and the UK regulator (Ofcom),
have made certain parts of the TV band available for use on a shared and licence-exempt basis. This
represents an interesting and novel development in the management of spectrum, as it involves
licence-exempt transmissions being interleaved with those of licensed users such as TV broadcasters.
This ‘dynamic shared access’ approach represents an entirely new way of managing spectrum, and
has been embraced by Ofcom as part of its spectrum management strategy, not only for spectrum in
the TV band but also for spectrum in other bands where appropriate.1 It is also widely recognized that
dynamic spectrum access will form a key component of emerging 5G communication networks.
To deliver the project in Orkney, CWSC worked with a number of partners and suppliers, notably
Cloudnet IT Solutions Ltd, an Orkney-based ISP who had prior experience of using White Space
technology and who already had some wireless infrastructure (conventional microwave as well as
some White Space) installed in Orkney.
The project was split into two distinct but related parts:
 Phase 2 Nomadic (P2N) – adding Wi-Fi connectivity to three Orkney ferries so that
passengers (and crew) will be able to obtain access to the Internet while journeying on the
ferries.
 Phase 2 Extended (P2E) – the setting up of communications links to a small number of fixed
land-based premises in remote, difficult-to-reach locations which are and beyond the
scope of current intervention initiatives.
The ferries now have useful Internet connectivity that was hitherto non-existent, and many users
(passengers and crew) have found this very useful. Residents in the fixed premises have also found
the connectivity useful, some of them even being able to start their own on-line businesses from
home, which was not possible prior to the connectivity provided by the project.
The costs associated with building and running a network (whether it uses wireless technologies or
other technologies) are numerous and diverse, and the commercial viability of networks in remote
rural locations is highly sensitive to those costs due to the low population densities that usually exist
in such areas. Each project therefore requires its own careful planning and costing activities in order
to gain advance indications of CapEx and Opex costs.
1
Ofcom: “Spectrum management strategy”, 30th April 2014.
iv
In summary, the Orkney TV White Space Pilot has successfully demonstrated the viability of using
TV White Space radio equipment to enhance broadband coverage in hard-to-reach, remote locations,
including not only fixed premises but also other ‘locations’ such as moving ferries. It has shown that
TVWS has the potential to exceed the EC’s definition of superfast broadband (30 Mbit/s or more), and
is therefore aligned with the Scottish Government’s commitment, under its ‘R100’ programme, to
deliver superfast broadband access to 100% of premises in Scotland.
It is clear, therefore, that dynamic spectrum management will have an increasingly important role
to play in the future management of spectrum, and we in Scotland are well-positioned to make a
significant contribution to its development and deployment.
Building upon the Orkney TVWS pilot, the University of Strathclyde has driven the creation of a bid
for Phase 1 of the DCMS 5G Testbeds & Trials programme1, with a strong focus on rural connectivity.
If the bid is successful, the project (titled ‘5G RuralFirst’) will be an end-to-end testbed system
comprising rural 5G testbed locations across the UK in Orkney, Somerset and Newport (Shropshire),
linked to a 5G edge facility near Glasgow which will be connected to, and will complement, the 5G
cores in Bristol and Surrey.
The 5G RuralFirst project consortium, which is led by Cisco and includes the BBC, BT, Microsoft,
Faroese Telecom, Orkney-based CloudNet IT Solutions, DataVita, the University of Edinburgh, Heriot
Watt University, and others, firmly believes that 5G must be more than simply ‘better 4G’, otherwise
rural communities will continue to remain poorly connected as the business models and barriers to
deployment in remote locations will essentially be no different from those of 4G and 3G, which have
failed may rural locations in the UK. The opportunity for 5G connectivity will thus be clearly driven by
new technologies and access to usable spectrum. And for spectrum we see the critical opportunity for
a rural offering of a blend of licensed, licence-exempt, and shared; hence with a particular focus on
dynamic spectrum and rural coverage, we aim to design and build successful testbeds and trials in
rural areas that are 5G – 5G RuralFirst!
If our 5G RuralFirst bid is successful, the project consortium will consider opportunities for
announcing it at the IEEE International 5G summit which will be held in Glasgow on 14th May 2018.
1
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/652263/DCMS_5G_Prospectus.pdf
v
Acknowledgements
The support and guidance received from the Scottish Government in the undertaking of this project
is gratefully acknowledged.
vi
Glossary Of Terms
ACS Adjacent Channel Selectivity.
AGC Automatic Gain Control.
AGL Above Ground Level
AP Access Point
BS Base Station.
C/I Ratio of Carrier power to Interference power.
COM Commercial multiplex.
Coupling Gain/Loss A measure of the extent to which electromagnetic energy radiated by a

WSD antenna gets picked up by a DTT antenna. Coupling gain/loss is
typically measured in decibels (dB).
CPE Customer Premises Equipment.
CWSC Centre for White Space Communications
dBm Unit of power, measured in decibels relative to 1 milliwatt (mW).
dBµV/m Unit of electric field strength, measured in decibels relative to

1 microvolt per metre (µV/m).
Downlink Radio link from BS to CPE.
DTT Digital Terrestrial Television.
DVB-T Digital Video Broadcasting - Terrestrial. (European DTT standard,

adopted by numerous countries worldwide.)
EIRP Effective/Equivalent Isotropic Radiated Power – The power that an

isotropic antenna would need to radiate in order to produce the same
power as an actual antenna in its direction of maximum power
transmission.
FCC Federal Communications Commission (US regulator).
HP Horizontal Polarization.
IP Internet Protocol.
ITU International Telecommunication Union.
LOS Lone Of Sight
MAC Medium Access Control – Mechanism by which a device’s access to the

radio link is controlled.
MIMO Multiple Input, Multiple Output – The use of multiple antennas to

improve communications performance.
vii
NLOS Non Line Of Sight
Ofcom Office of Communication (UK regulator).
PHY Physical layer – Mechanism by which signals are modulated and

transmitted on a radio link.
PMSE Programme Making & Special Events – e.g. wireless microphones and in-
ear monitors used in theatres, sports venues, music festivals, etc.
POE Power Over Ethernet.
PoP Point of Presence
Protection Ratio The minimum permitted ratio between a wanted DTT signal and an
interfering signal for stable TV reception.
PSB Public Service Broadcast.
RTT Round-Trip Time – the time interval between a data packet being
transmitted and a corresponding acknowledgement being received.
TCP Transmission Control Protocol.
TDD Time Division Duplex – Transmit and Receive signals are time division
multiplexed in order to emulate full-duplex communication on a half-
duplex physical channel.
TVWS TV White Space – White spaces in the TV band (470-790 MHz for ITU
Region 1).
UDP User Datagram Protocol.
UHF Ultra-High Frequency (300 MHz – 3 GHz).
UKPM UK Planning Model.
Uplink Radio link from CPE to BS.
UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization.
VoIP Voice over IP – the transmission of speech over IP networks.
VP Vertical Polarization.
White Spaces Portions of radio spectrum which are not used by existing licensees at all
times or in all locations.
WSD White Space Device.
viii
1 INTRODUCTION
In September 2015, the Scottish Government awarded a grant1 to the University of Strathclyde’s
Centre for White Space Communications (CWSC) to deliver a TV White Space (TVWS) pilot in Orkney.
The project built upon previous work to test and validate the use of White Space techniques for
connecting extreme rural locations and to explore whether a similar solution may be used on a wider
scale to support The Scottish Government’s world-class digital aspirations.
The main aims/expected outcomes were:
 To demonstrate White Space technology in a rural environment using it as a backhaul
technology to provide public Wi-Fi access;
 To test the reliability and performance of TVWS backhaul in a nomadic capacity where
users will access services ‘on the move’ via the provision of ferry Wi-Fi hotspots;
 To gain an understanding of the costs associated with the delivery, operation, and
maintenance of the supporting TVWS infrastructure;
 To assess the impact of the introduction of a ferry-based Wi-Fi service for the local
community, visitors, and businesses;
 To test the commercial viability of TVWS as a solution for the provision of broadband
services to extremely remote rural home- or office-based users with different
requirements;
 To test the reliability and performance of TVWS technology as an alternative backhaul
solution for the provision of broadband services;
 To gain an insight into the complexity, partnerships, resources, skills, and timelines
required to deploy the TVWS infrastructure;
 To understand whether a similar solution could be used on a wider scale to support SG’s
World Class Digital aspirations.
This report describes the project activities and sets out some conclusions and recommendations
on connecting remote rural communities. The report is structured as follows:
 Section 2 provides background and context, in terms of the current situation regarding
broadband connectivity in rural areas and the benefits of using dynamic spectrum
management techniques;
 Section 3 gives a high-level overview of the network, with a map of the overall network in
Orkney;
 Section 3.1 discusses the CPE nodes (i.e. radio nodes installed at customer premises, which
include three ferries);
 Section 3.2 discusses the infrastructure nodes, which are essentially basestations and/or
backhaul nodes that require masts;
 Section 4 discusses network performance and user experience;
 Section 5 considers some of the financial aspects that are associated with deploying a
wireless network on a commercial basis;
 Section 6 provides a summary and conclusion.
1
Grant award letter dated 11th Sep 2015 and signed by University of Strathclyde on 16th Sep 2015.
1
2 BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT

In a recent presentation by Ofcom1, it was recognized that while significant improvements have
been made to fixed broadband and mobile coverage in Scotland, 37% of rural premises in Scotland
still cannot get broadband faster than 10 Mbit/s. Figure 2-1 shows the UK’s ten local authorities with
the most premises unable to 10 Mbit/s. Five of them are in Scotland, with Orkney, Shetland, and the
Hebrides occupying slots 2, 3, and 4, respectively.
Figure 2-1: Local authorities with the most premises unable to get 10 Mbit/s fixed
broadband connectivity.
In many countries, including the UK, analogue television broadcasts have been, or are in the
process of being, switched off and replaced by more spectrally efficient digital television
transmissions, and the ‘white spaces’2 that exist in the UHF TV band (470 MHz - 790 MHz in ITU
Region 1) have good propagation and building penetration characteristics.3 This potentially makes
them suitable for use in rural broadband applications, where transmission links may be several
kilometres in length and may involve challenging terrain such as hills, foliage, and water.
A number of spectrum regulators, notably the US regulator (FCC) and the UK regulator (Ofcom),
have made certain parts of the TV band available for use on a shared and licence-exempt basis. This
represents an interesting and novel development in the management of spectrum, as it involves
licence-exempt transmissions being interleaved with those of licensed users such as TV broadcasters.
1
“Implementing ‘Digital Scotland’ - broadband, mobile and infrastructure”, Scotland Policy Conferences,
26th October 2016.
2
‘White Spaces’ are portions of radio spectrum which are not used by existing licensees at all times or in all
locations. With demand for wireless connectivity increasing, the dynamic exploitation of white space is an
attractive way of making more efficient use of radio spectrum.
3
Radio signals at 470-790 MHz are better able to diffract over hills and penetrate objects such as foliage than
signals at higher frequencies such as 2.4 GHz or 5.8 GHz.
2
Several other regulators around the world are actively considering similar spectrum sharing
approaches.
Allowing licence-exempt devices to interleave their transmissions with those of licensed users
does, however, present challenges in ensuring that the licence-exempt transmissions will not
adversely interfere with the licensed transmissions. The approaches adopted by the FCC and Ofcom
differ slightly, but both involve the use of a regulator-approved database which White Space Devices
(WSDs) must consult before being allowed to access the spectrum. Figure 2-2 illustrates the concept.
Figure 2-2: High-level overview of White Space access framework1.
This ‘dynamic shared access’ approach represents an entirely new way of managing spectrum, and
has been embraced by Ofcom as part of its spectrum management strategy, not only for spectrum in
the TV band but also for spectrum in other bands where appropriate.2 It is also widely recognized that
dynamic spectrum access will form a key component of emerging 5G communication networks.
The University of Strathclyde’s Centre for White Space Communications (CWSC) was established in
March 2011, and has been working alongside industry and government to investigate the technical
issues and develop solutions for dynamic spectrum sharing. Two prior projects of particular relevance
are:
 The Isle of Bute White Space Trial3 – a six-partner project supported by the Technology
Strategy Board, and the UK’s first White Space trial. The project consortium (which
included BT and BBC) set up a test/demonstrator network on the Isle of Bute in 2011, and
successfully demonstrated the technical feasibility of using White Space spectrum without
1
Source: Ofcom Statement, “Implementing TV White Spaces”, 12th February 2015.
2
3
http://www.wirelesswhitespace.org/projects/white-space-trial-on-the-isle-of-bute/
3
causing undue interference to TV reception. Results were fed into Ofcom and European
spectrum policy working groups.
 The Glasgow TVWS Pilot1 – a Scottish Government supported project which involved CWSC
building a testbed White Space network on its city centre campus in 2014, and using it to
help Ofcom to validate its proposed regulatory framework which went live at the end of
2015.
The pilot White Space network in Orkney builds upon CWSC’s knowledge and expertise in wireless
communications, dynamic spectrum management, and rural broadband. The network has provided
connectivity to three inter-island ferries and six fixed premises in remote, hard-to-reach locations.
To deliver the project, CWSC worked with a number of partners and suppliers, notably Cloudnet IT
Solutions Ltd, an Orkney-based ISP who had prior experience of using White Space technology and
who already had some wireless infrastructure (conventional microwave as well as some White Space)
installed in Orkney.
The project was split into two distinct but related parts:
 Phase 2 Nomadic (P2N) – adding Wi-Fi connectivity to three Orkney ferries so that
passengers (and crew) will be able to obtain access to the Internet while journeying on the
ferries.
 Phase 2 Extended (P2E) – the setting up of communications links to a small number of fixed
land-based premises in remote, difficult-to-reach locations which are and beyond the
scope of current intervention initiatives.
2.1 Project Partners

The project has involved the following partners working in collaboration to fulfil the project’s aims:
 The University of Strathclyde is a leading international technological university located in
the heart of Glasgow. The University’s Centre for White Space Communications has been
actively engaged in research into innovative dynamic spectrum management techniques
for more than five years, and was the lead partner in the Orkney project being reported on
in this document.
 CloudNet IT Solutions Ltd is a wireless solutions provider based in Orkney. The company
specializes in connectivity to hard-to-reach areas, and was the local partner on Orkney,
with responsibility for installing the network infrastructure and operating it for the
duration of the pilot.
 Fairspectrum Oy, based in Espoo, Finland, provides consultancy and radio spectrum
management tools for wireless network designers and implementers. The company is an
Ofcom-approved TV White Space geo-location database supplier for use in the UK, and the
project has made use of Fairspectrum’s database for TVWS access in Orkney.
 6 Harmonics Inc. is a Canadian TV White Space radio manufacturer. The project uses their
GWS 3000 range of TVWS radio products.
 BAE Systems provides some of the world’s most advanced, technology-led defence,
aerospace, and security solutions, employing over 80,000 skilled personnel in more than
40 countries. BAE provided TVWS radio hardware for connectivity to three ferries in
Orkney.
1
http://www.wirelesswhitespace.org/projects/white-space-pilot-network-in-glasgow-phase-1/
4
 Orkney Ferries operates a fleet of 9 vessels serving 13 island destinations in Orkney,

carrying over 82,000 vehicles and undertaking around 320,000 passenger journeys
annually. Three of the company’s ferries participated in the project and were connected
using TVWS so that passengers and crew could access the Internet during their journeys.
 Orkney Islands Council has provided valuable assistance and guidance during the project,
and has also made space available on its mast at Wideford Hill for the purposes of
facilitating the project.
 Scottish Futures Trust is an infrastructure delivery company owned by Scottish
Government, working with numerous public and private sector partners across many
programmes. SFT was instrumental in defining and scoping the Orkney TVWS pilot and
helping the University of Strathclyde to run the project.
5
3 NETWORK OVERVIEW
Figure 3-1 shows a high-level representation of the network.
Six fixed premises (depicted by green circles) and three ferries (depicted by green ovals) have TVWS
CPE units installed on them. These TVWS CPEs connect to TVWS basestations installed at land-based
infrastructure nodes (depicted by blue circles).
The network has a main infrastructure node at Wideford Hill near Kirkwall, and all other
infrastructure nodes are connected to the Wideford Hill node via Point-to-Point (P2P) microwave links.
In addition, Wideford Hill also has its own TVWS basestations, which provide White Space connectivity
to the ferries and to three fixed premises.
Internet access for the network is achieved via a Point of Presence (PoP) which exists at Ayre of
Cara and is operated by Faroese Telecom. This connects to the UK mainland via the SHEFA-2 sub-sea
fibre-optic cable, and achieves Internet access from Telehouse in London.
The network’s main radio node at Wideford Hill near Kirkwall, and this is connected to the PoP via
a Point-to-Point (P2P) microwave link, through which all of the network’s Internet traffic flows.
On each of the ferries, the TVWS CPE is connected to a Wi-Fi Access Points (APs) installed in the
passenger lounge, and passengers connect using their Wi-Fi-enabled smartphones, laptops, tablets,
etc.
The TVWS CPEs at each of the fixed premises connect to a standard in-home Wi-Fi router using
Cat5e Ethernet cable, and users can connect to the network using smart phones, tablets, laptops,
desktop PCs, smart TVs etc.
6
Westray Pier
Sanday Pier
Power Station
Wideford
Keelylang
Key:
TVWS CPE node (fixed)
TVWS CPE node (on ferry)
Infrastructure node
Internet PoP
Ayre of Cara
TVWS link
P2P microwave link
SHEFA-2 cable
P2P microwave link to PoP
Ferry route
Sandy Hill
…to Scottish
mainland and
20km
on to Telehouse 0
(London)
Figure 3-1: High-level network diagram.
3.1 CPE Nodes

The TVWS CPEs installed at the fixed premises and on the ferries comprise essentially the same
equipment and set-up requirements.
3.1.1 Ferries (P2N)

Figure 3-2(a) shows a simplified graphic illustration of the Wi-Fi set-up in the passenger lounge and
its connection to the TVWS radio TVWS CPE installed on one of the ferries. Figure 3-2(b) shows the
TVWS actual radio and antenna. They are pole-mounted, and since the radio can be powered via
Power Over Ethernet (POE), a single Cat5e cable is sufficient to carry data and power to the radio from
a POE-enabled network switch located in a comms room below deck. An omni-directional antenna is
used because the ferry’s orientation varies and can, in theory, have any bearing angle between 0° and
360°.
7
TVWS link to
basestation
Wi-Fi
Network Switch
Passenger Lounge Comms Room
(a)
TVWS omni-directional
antenna
TVWS radio (CPE)
(b)
Figure 3-2: (a) Simplified graphic illustration of Wi-Fi set-up in passenger lounge and
connection to TVWS radio; (b) TVWS CPE and omni-directional antenna
mounted on ferry.
3.1.2 Fixed Premises (P2E)

Figure 3-3(a) shows a simplified graphic illustration of the in-home Wi-Fi set-up and connection to
the TVWS CPE, and Figure 3-3(b) shows actual TVWS CPE installations at fixed premise locations. The
set-up is very similar to that of the ferries, the main difference being the use of a directional aerial
rather than an omni-directional one, since the orientation of the building never changes and the
direction of the basestation is therefore fixed and known.
One of the TVWS aerials, shown on the bottom-left of Figure 3-3(b), is internally mounted because
external mounting was unviable for a number of reasons. Nevertheless, the TVWS radios were still
able to establish connectivity between basestation and CPE, which would have been very difficult, if
not impossible, with conventional microwave radios operating in the 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz bands.
8
TVWS link to
basestation
Wi-Fi
Wireless
Router
(a)
Internally-mounted
TVWS antenna
(b)
Figure 3-3: (a) Simplified graphic illustration of in-home Wi-Fi set-up and connection
to TVWS radio; (b) TVWS CPE installation at fixed premises.
3.2 Infrastructure Nodes

The infrastructure nodes host the TVWS basestation units and other microwave radios that are
required for the provision of wireless backhaul to the Internet PoP at Ayre of Cara. They typically
comprise a mast on which the TVWS and microwave radios are mounted (typically at a height of
around 10-15m AGL). The details of each infrastructure node are given in Appendix A.
9
4 NETWORK PERFORMANCE AND USER EXPERIENCE

Throughout the project, users have been making use of the connectivity for a variety of purposes.
Data throughput on the network depends on several factors, such as transmit power levels, antenna
gains, path loss, signal reflections, etc., as well as the core performance capabilities of the radio
equipment.
The TVWS radios used in the project are GWS3000 series radios from 6 Harmonics, Inc. Some of
these are older versions which operate in a single 8 MHz-wide TV channel, while others are newer
models which are capable of operating over two TV channels, i.e. 16 MHz of bandwidth. Laboratory
tests have shown that the older, single-channel models are capable of supporting up to about
10 Mbit/s data throughput under good channel conditions, while the newer, dual-channel models are
capable of supporting up to 40 Mbit/s.
Performance in the real network depends on the specific details of the radio links, and also on the
extent to which radio bandwidth is being shared; for example, if two or more CPEs are served from a
single basestation, they will share the basestation’s overall data throughput capability.
4.1.1 Ferries (P2N)

Measurements made on the ferry links show that data rates tend to be in the range of about
5-10 Mbit/s, depending on where the ferry is located. Figure 4-1, for example, shows data throughput
rates measured on board MV Varagen at various points on its route from Kirkwall to Sanday.
Figure 4-1: Data throughput measured on MV Varagen at various points along the
ferry route from Kirkwall to Sanday.
It is worth noting that the TVWS radios installed on the ferries are not the latest versions, and as
such, they are capable of a maximum data transfer rate of around 10 Mbps under ideal conditions,
with a typical rate on the ferry routes being somewhere in the region of 5 Mbps. Nevertheless, this
has provided useful Internet connectivity that was hitherto non-existent, and many users have found
this very useful.
10
The latest TVWS radios will typically perform at double the data rate of the ones currently deployed
on the ferries, and they are also capable of bonding more than one TV channel, which results in yet
further increases in the data throughput. By extrapolation, it is reasonable to infer that these latest
radios would, if installed on the ferries in place if the existing older versions, be able to support around
10-12 Mbps using a single TV channel, and around 20-24 Mbps if two TV channels were bonded.
Future TVWS radios are expected to be able to make use of up to four bonded TV channels, which
suggests that up to 40-50 Mbit/s ferry connections could be achievable.
Since connectivity was installed on the ferries in the summer of 2016, usage has been measured in
order to build a picture of client-side demand. Figure 4-2 shows the numbers of connected client
devices on a daily basis over a period of one month. As can be seen, some 70-80 devices typically
connect each day, with more than 100 devices connecting on some days.
Figure 4-2: Client devices connected to ferry access points.
When accessing the Internet on the ferries, passengers were invited to participate in a survey which
asks various questions aimed at understanding the user profiles and attitudes towards Internet
connectivity on the ferries. Almost 400 people engaged in the survey, the key findings of which may
be summarized as follows:
 Email and social media are the main applications that people use while travelling on the
ferries. Other applications include on-line shopping, paying bills, homework/studying,
playing games, and playing music.
 The vast majority of users (more than 98%) have stated that the service has been useful,
with 78% citing it as being ‘extremely useful’.
Figures 4-3 to 4-6 show the results of four particular questions that were asked in the survey. On
the whole, passengers are very satisfied with the Internet connectivity obtainable on the ferries. Some
passengers did, however, cite stability issues, although it’s not clear whether they were trying to
connect during a maintenance period or when the ferry was in a location of low signal. Most have
11
stated that they would expect connectivity to be provided free of charge or as part of the ferry fare
rather than paying for it separately or on a per-use basis.
Passengers who participated in the survey were also invited to provide comments where
appropriate. Some received comments include:
“I can do my work whilst travelling on the boat. It is quality time to catchup with work
whilst I travel.. Perfect!!”
“It has been really useful having internet access on the boat. Im currently studying for a
degree so internet access is essential, the ferry is a good place to get a good hour or more
uninterrupted work done.”
“Extremely satisfied. I can do work, catch-up with notes etc and not waste time whilst
travelling and having to catch-up when back in the office.. well done CloudNet. and
Orkney Ferries…..About time!!!! Don't lose this service....”
77.8%
Total number of respondents: 369
15.4%
5.1%
0.3% 1.4%
Extremely Useful Very Useful Useful Not at all Useful Other (Please Specify)
Figure 4-3: How useful have you found having access to Wi-Fi on the ferry?
12
86.4%
10.6%
2.7%
0.3%
Extremely likely Very likely Likely Not at all likely
Figure 4-4: How likely are you to use the Wi-Fi access when you next travel on the ferry?
98.4%
1.6%
Yes No
Figure 4-5: With the trial coming to an end would you wish to see public Wi-Fi continue?
13
36.0%
29.5%
27.1%
6.0%
1.4%
Extremely Satisfied Very Satisfied Satisfied Not at all satisfied Other (please specify)
Figure 4-6: How satisfied are you with the reliability and speed of the WiFi?
The crew has also found the connectivity useful:
"The system works well, and its range is better than anything we have ever had or used
to. We notice when the system goes off, because it’s normally when we need to get
weather reports, or, or need to report technical problems or to send/receive email from
the office. It’s like when you are given something then it’s taken away you miss it.!"
…Captain of MV Thorfinn
“This new system is must better and faster than before. We can use the system when
traveling and we have never been able to as a crew before.”
…Ships’ Crew
4.1.2 Fixed Premises (P2E)

Residents in the fixed premises have been using the network mainly for general Internet access
from the home. In some cases, this has facilitated the set-up of home businesses which were not
possible without the connectivity provided by the network. One resident, for example, was a language
translator, and the Internet connectivity allowed her to receive and deliver work electronically and
interact with her clients more effectively…
“Being a translator I had to download footage to translate and then upload again. This
often took 2-3 days to download before I could start working on the scripts. The new
system changed this, improving both upload and download speeds, making my work more
efficient. It increased my productivity. Having a good rural broadband solution is
necessary in today’s society.”
14
In another case, the householder’s son was able to start a home-based digital media company
which would not have been possible without Internet connectivity…
“When TVWS was provided, it opened up the opportunities for my family to a whole new
life. It gave my son the chance to start his own business doing digital media and film
making. He now is able to interact across the globe with other similar people. Having this
system installed kept the boys from moving out and living in Kirkwall, keeping the rural
communities alive. As a councillor this was an active discussion point in the chamber and
debates about rural connectivity and how to overcome digital inclusion and sustaining
rural economies from decreasing. This system helps to keep our islands and their kids on
these islands.”
Of course, it’s not just householders who require good connectivity. The farming industry is
becoming more and more reliant on connectivity on and off the farm….
“As a farmer, we need more and more reliance on broadband to carry out our work. It not
only allowed me to be out tending the farm but also provided means of monitoring the
cattle in the byres. I could work out in the fields yet be in contact with the farm. So much
so, I could be anywhere and log onto the farm camera system to look at the animals in
the byres which allowed me to be more productive around the farm, and in calving time
know how the beasts were doing, day or night.”
Interestingly, the TVWS connectivity has also been used by Faroese Telecom to monitor shipping
in the area where the SHEFA sub-sea fibre link exists. Conventional broadband from the telephone
exchange wasn’t able to provide enough bandwidth…
“SHEFA uses a radar system in Orkney to monitor and log ship traffic around the sub-sea
fibre which links the Faroe Islands to London via Orkney and Shetland. The TV Whitespace
system increased bandwidth to Radar to allow us to do this and to be able to record data
of shipping traffic. The broadband system was too far from the exchange to provide Faroe
Telecoms with the necessary data to actively monitor the network.”
It is important to appreciate that achievable data rates depend on various factors associated with
the radios and radio path properties. Each radio path is unique, and for any particular link from
basestation to customer premises, the radio propagation characteristics – and hence the data
throughput performance – are also unique.
Having said that, data throughput rates of up to 30 Mbit/s have been achieved at certain fixed
premises with favourable radio path parameters and where the latest generation of TVWS radios
(which are capable of using two bonded TV channels) have been installed. For older generation radios,
data rates of around 10 Mbit/s have been achieved, again depending on radio path parameters. In the
near future, it is expected that TVWS radios capable of using four bonded TV channels will become
available, in which case data rates of up to 60 Mbit/s will be possible.
15
5 FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS
The project has been a research project and, as such, it has provided trialists with connectivity free
of charge. However, as well as investigating the technical viability of using TVWS for connectivity in
hard-to-reach rural areas, we have attempted to summarize some of the cost-related considerations
that would need to be addressed in a commercial setting.
5.1 Capital Costs (CapEx)

Capital costs include:
 Cost of Radio Equipment
- TVWS radios, Microwave radios, Aerials, Mounting brackets and accessories,
Installation costs
 Cost of Infrastructure Nodes
- Site access fees, Site preparation, Mast purchase, Mast installation and
commissioning
 OSS/BSS set-up costs
- Purchase of OSS/BSS, hosting/server costs
5.1.1 Radio Equipment

Radio equipment costs comprise TVWS basestations and microwave radios (if needed), along with
associated antennas and accessories. TVWS radios are still relatively expensive as the technology is
still relatively new. However, prices have been steadily decreasing over the past few years, and
provided the market develops and grows, this trend is expected to continue. At present, a TVWS
basestation with antenna and accessories typically costs about £4,000 and is capable of serving 4-6
CPEs.
Installing radios on towers requires qualified tower climbers, and Health & Safety rules require that
there be at least two of them for each climb.
5.1.2 Infrastructure Nodes

The main costs associated with the land-based infrastructure relate to site agreements and mast
construction. Each site is unique, however, and terms and conditions (e.g. site rental fees) for using a
particular site depend on negotiations with the site owner. Where a mast already exists on a site, it
may be possible to simply rent space on the mast; otherwise it will be necessary to purchase a suitable
mast and carry out civil works to erect it. The costs associated with commissioning each site are
therefore somewhat variable.
For example, our project’s basestation site at Keelylang required an 18m mast to be erected. Civil
works were required in order to level the ground and lay a concrete base and plinth, and to install
drainage and a vehicular access gate. The mast itself had to be procured and installed, and an
electricity supply had to be installed at the site. By contrast, the basestation site at Wideford hill makes
use of an existing mast owned by Orkney Islands Council, and access was provided by the Council free
of charge as the project was a research project.
16
5.1.3 OSS/BSS Set-Up Costs

Any commercial network requires OSS1 and BSS2 capability, regardless of whether it uses TVWS
technology or not. Capital costs associated with this will include the purchase and configuration of the
OSS/BSS software itself and hosting costs in a data centre. Depending on an ISP’s needs and
preferences, it may be preferable to rent server space from a commercial virtual server provider,
which will eliminate the need for the ISP to operate its own servers in its own data centre. Some
companies are even offering the entire OSS/BSS function as a service which gets paid for on a time-
based or per-use basis, thereby eliminating the need for the ISP to purchase and operate its own
OSS/BSS platform.
The best approach to take will depend on a particular ISP’s needs and preferences. If the ‘OSS/BSS
as a service’ approach is taken, the capital costs will be minimal (perhaps even zero), as all of the costs
will be operational. However, the ISP will presumably need to be suitably satisfied that the OSS/BSS
provider is capable of providing (and guaranteeing) appropriate levels of service in order to ensure
that the ISP’s guarantees to its own customers can be maintained. The ISP will also need to be suitably
satisfied that the BSS service provider is able to comply with relevant data protection requirements.
5.2 Operating Costs (OpEx)

Once the network is installed, ongoing operational costs mainly comprise:
 Network maintenance costs
- Inspection and maintenance (staffing costs as well as materials costs)
 OSS/BSS running costs
- Recurring costs of OSS/BSS (e.g. data centre hosting fees)
- Staffing costs (e.g. telephone helpline, office admin costs)
 Rental fees for sites and masts
 Licence fees for radio spectrum
 Backhaul costs
 IP transit costs
Many of the above costs will depend on the specific business structure the operating models that
have been chosen. For example, staff costs will depend on how many staff are employed or allocated
to a particular function, which, in turn, may depend on factors such as geographic coverage and
desired service levels being achieved. Rental fees for sites and masts will depend on whether these
have been negotiated as typical commercial agreements or have benefited from some ‘goodwill’ from
members of the local community, such as a farmer agreeing to a corner of his field being used to site
a mast without any rental payments being required, perhaps in turn for free broadband connectivity
for his farmhouse. OSS/BSS running costs will depend on the specifics of the approach that has been
adopted and the solution that has been implemented.
1
OSS – Operations Support System. A toolset which facilitates network management and configuration as well
as fault management, etc. May be ‘cloud’ based with server and web interface allowing authorized access from
any location.
2
BSS – Business Support System. A toolset which facilitates business processes such as customer billing, dealing
with new customer requests, etc. Usually integrated with the OSS to a large extent to allow effective inter-
working between OSS and BSS.
17
5.3 Summary
The costs associated with building and running a network are clearly numerous and diverse, and
the commercial viability of networks in remote rural locations is highly sensitive to those costs due to
the low population densities that usually exist in such areas. Each project therefore requires its own
careful planning and costing activities in order to gain advance indications of CapEx and Opex costs.
18
6 SUMMARY & CONCLUSION

The Orkney TV White Space Pilot has successfully demonstrated the viability of using TV White
Space radio equipment to enhance broadband coverage in hard-to-reach, remote locations, including
not only fixed premises but also other ‘locations’ such as moving ferries. It has shown that TVWS has
the potential to exceed the EC’s definition of superfast broadband (30 Mbit/s or more), and is
therefore aligned with the Scottish Government’s commitment, under its ‘R100’ programme, to
deliver superfast broadband access to 100% of premises in Scotland.
The technology requires backhaul connectivity and infrastructure in the form of masts/towers
upon which TVWS basestations can be mounted, and the costs of these need to be carefully
considered in any business plan that aims to deliver broadband connectivity to a particular community
or set of clients. Those costs are dependent on a number of factors and may vary over a large range
from one deployment to another. A ‘one size fits all’ solution does not, therefore, exist, but White
Space is nevertheless an extremely useful and valuable ‘component’ to have available for use in any
solution.
In fact, our project in Orkney has, to one degree or another, demonstrated use of all six of the key
‘pillars’ required for effective connectivity, as identified by the Scottish Futures Trust and shown in
Figure 6-1.
Figure 6-1: The six key pillars identified by the Scottish Futures Trust as essential for creating
the environment for Scotland to be ready for new 5G connectivity. 1
Specifically, we have in Orkney:

 Fibre connectivity (to Telehouse in London);
 Electrical power (including self-powered renewable-energy communications mast
capability);
 Ducts (Faroese Telecom);
1
“Taking The Connected Highway”, Scottish Futures Trust, 2016.
(https://www.scottishfuturestrust.org.uk/storage/uploads/Taking_the_Connected_Highway.pdf)
19
 Internet Exchange (Telehouse);

 Spectrum (licence-exempt spectrum such as White Space, as well as licensed spectrum via
industry partners or via CWSC securing test licences as appropriate);
 Masts (existing masts plus experience of deploying new masts as needed).
A key feature of the use of White Space spectrum in the UK and several other countries is the
dynamic spectrum management techniques that have been devised and incorporated into the
regulations. This represents a brand new way of managing spectrum, and it presents new
opportunities for maximizing the effective use of spectrum, in turn maximizing the value that can be
derived from the use of spectrum.1 It has been embraced by Ofcom in the UK as the way forward for
spectrum management, not only in the TV band but in other bands, too.2 Its value is also being
specifically recognized for emerging 5G systems3 and for the Citizens’s Broadband Radio Service (CBRS)
in the US4.
It is clear, therefore, that dynamic spectrum management will have an increasingly important role
to play in the future management of spectrum, and we in Scotland are well-positioned to make a
significant contribution to its development and deployment.
6.1 Next Steps – 5G RuralFirst

Building upon the Orkney TVWS pilot, the University of Strathclyde has driven the creation of a bid
for Phase 1 of the DCMS 5G Testbeds & Trials programme5, with a strong focus on rural connectivity.
If the bid is successful, the project (titled ‘5G RuralFirst’) will be an end-to-end testbed system
comprising rural 5G testbed locations across the UK in Orkney, Somerset and Newport (Shropshire),
linked to a 5G edge facility near Glasgow which will be connected to, and will complement, the 5G
cores in Bristol and Surrey. 5G RuralFirst will support trials of innovative technology, applications, and
business models aimed at improving the overall potential of the UK's 5G eco-system to deliver cost-
effective connectivity for a range of applications and usage scenarios in hard-to-reach rural locations.
The general architecture of the testbed and trial is illustrated in Figure 6-2.
The project consortium, which is led by Cisco and includes the BBC, BT, Microsoft, Faroese Telecom,
Orkney-based CloudNet IT Solutions, DataVita, the University of Edinburgh, Heriot Watt University,
and others, firmly believes that 5G must be more than simply ‘better 4G’, otherwise rural communities
will continue to remain poorly connected as the business models and barriers to deployment in
remote locations will essentially be no different from those of 4G and 3G, which have failed may rural
locations in the UK. The opportunity for 5G connectivity will thus be clearly driven by new technologies
and access to usable spectrum. And for spectrum we see the critical opportunity for a rural offering of
a blend of licensed, licence-exempt, and shared; hence with a particular focus on dynamic spectrum
1
Quantifying the ‘value’ of spectrum is not easy, and depends on whether the emphasis is on measuring
‘economic’ value, ‘social’ value, or some other metric. Nevertheless, a report by Analysys Mason in 2013
suggests that the economic value of UK spectrum is £52 billion per annum.
2
3
According to Qualcomm (one of the world’s leading mobile technology companies), access to shared/licence-
exempt spectrum will expand 5G in multiple dimensions.
(https://www.qualcomm.com/news/onq/2016/11/17/5g-spectrum-sharing-brings-new-innovations).
4
CBRS is being pioneered in the US, operating in the 3.5 GHz band with dynamic spectrum sharing.
(https://www.cbrsalliance.org/)
5
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/652263/DCMS_5G_Prospectus.pdf
20
and rural coverage, we aim to design and build successful testbeds and trials in rural areas that are 5G
– 5G RuralFirst!
Figure 6-2: The 5G RuralFirst concept.
More detailed information on our 5G RuralFirst bid can be provided on request. If it is successful,
the project consortium will consider opportunities for announcing it at the IEEE International 5G
summit which will be held in Glasgow on 14th May 2018.1
1
http://www.5gsummit.org/
21
Appendices
A INFRASTRUCTURE NODES
A.1 Internet PoP at Ayre of Cara

The Internet PoP at Ayre of Cara connects to the SHEFA-2 optical fibre cable owned operated by
Shefa Ltd, a subsidiary of Faroese Telecom1. The SHEFA-2 cable runs from the Faroe Islands to
mainland Scotland via Shetland and Orkney, and has PoPs in the Faroe Islands, Shetland, Orkney,
Banff, Aberdeen, and London. Access to the Internet is provided via Telehouse in London. Figure A-1
shows a schematic representation of the PoP set-up.
Microwave link to
Wideford Hill
SHEFA-2 cable
…to Scottish mainland

and on to Telehouse
(London)
Figure A-1: Schematic representation of the PoP set-up at Ayre of Cara.
Figure A-2 shows the PoP building and its associated radio mast, as well as some of the equipment
inside the building. Through a co-hosting arrangement, CloudNet has installed a microwave dish
(shown halfway up the mast) plus associated networking equipment inside the building to provide the
microwave link to Wideford Hill.
1
http://www.shefa.fo/faroese-telecom/
22
(a) (b) (c)
(d) (e) (f)
Figure A-2: Point of Presence (PoP) at Ayre of Cara.

(a) Comms building; (b) Comms tower; (c) Microwave link to Wideford Hill
is provided by the dish halfway up the mast. (d) Battery back-up units
maintain operational capability when electrical power supply is lost;
(e) Optical transceivers; (f) Network switches.
A.2 Wideford Hill

The top of Wideford Hill sits at an altitude of approximately 220m above sea level, and has good
Line-Of-Sight (LOS) to a number of other locations in Orkney, including some locations on other islands
belonging to the Orkney archipelago. A multi-use radio tower exists at the top of Wideford Hill, and
this has been used to form the main node in the project. The tower contains two TVWS basestations
(multiplexed onto a single antenna) as well as microwave radios which form the Point-to-Point
microwave links to Keelylang, Sandy Hill, Sanday Pier, Westray Pier, and Ayre of Cara, as previously
illustrated in Figure 3-1.
Figure A-3 shows a schematic representation of the set-up at Wideford Hill, while Figure A-4 shows
photographs of the tower and the views from the top of the hill.
23
Microwave links to
other radio nodes
Microwave link to
PoP at Ayre of Cara
TVWS links
Comms Equipment Hut
Figure A-3: Schematic representation of the radio node at Wideford Hill.
TVWS sector antenna
Figure A-4: Wideford Hill. The TVWS basestation sector antenna is just visible behind
one of the microwave dishes.
A.3 Sandy Hill

Sandy Hill is located in South Ronaldsay and has a small (10m) mast installed next to a weather
station from which electricity is obtained. The mast houses a microwave radio which forms the P2P
24
backhaul link to Wideford Hill and a TVWS basestation which provides connectivity for two CPE
locations in the surrounding area. The TVWS radio and associated equipment is housed in a small
cabinet at the foot of the mast. Figure A-5 shows a schematic representation of the set-up at Sanday
Hill, while Figure A-6 shows photographs of the equipment installed on-site.
Microwave link to
Wideford
TVWS links
Equipment
Cabinet
Figure A-5: Schematic representation of the radio node at Sandy Hill.
TVWS omni-directional
antenna
Microwave dish pointing

towards Wideford Hill
Figure A-6: Sandy Hill node. The microwave dish provides the P2P link to Wideford Hill,
while the TVWS omni provides TVWS connectivity to two CPE locations.
The TVWS basestation with associated equipment is housed in the cabinet
at the foot of the mast.
25
A.4 Keelylang
Keelylang is a main transmitter site for digital TV (DTV) and digital radio (DAB). Its hilltop location
gives it good coverage of the surrounding area. It is used in our network as a backhaul relay node, with
P2P microwave links connecting the Wideford Hill node to the power station node situated in the west
of mainland Orkney.
The site is owned and operated by Arqiva, and access to their masts involves considerable
expensive and complexity. Therefore, we have instead installed our own 18m mast on the site, with
electrical power provided by SSE.
Figure A-7 shows a schematic representation of the set-up at Keelylang, while Figure A-8 shows
photographs of the site.
Microwave link to Microwave link to

Power Station node Wideford Hill
Figure A-7: Schematic representation of the relay node at Keelylang. (N.B. There are
no TVWS radios installed here, although TVWS could be installed if
required in the future.)
26
(a)
(b)
Figure A-8: Keelylang Hill – a main DTV and DAB transmitter site, serving most of
Orkney and some northern parts of mainland Scotland.
(a) The hill with TV transmitter mast at summit;
(b) Our 18m mast installed adjacent to the TV transmitter facility.
A.5 Power Station

The Power Station node makes use of a disused power station, and provides coverage in an area
towards the west of mainland Orkney. Figure A-9 shows a schematic representation of the Power
Station node.
27
Microwave backhaul
link to Keelylang
TVWS links to fixed premises
Equipment
Cabinet
Figure A-9: Schematic representation of the radio node at disused power station.
A.6 Sanday Pier

The ferry terminal at Sanday Pier has a TVWS basestation installed on the existing ramp
infrastructure, as shown in Figure A-10. The equipment comprises a TVWS basestation radio and omni-
directional antenna for connecting to TVWS client radios on ferries, plus a microwave radio and dish
antenna for the Point-to-Point (P2P) backhaul connection to Wideford Hill. Figure A-11 shows a
schematic representation of the set-up.
TVWS antenna
P2P µwave
antenna
Figure A-10: Sanday Pier basestation, with TVWS basestation for connectivity to ferries
and microwave radio for P2P link to Wideford Hill.
28
TVWS antenna
Microwave backhaul
link to Wideford
TVWS links to ferries
TVWS radio
Figure A-11: Schematic representation of the radio node at Sanday Pier.
A.7 Westray Pier

The installation at Westray Pier is similar (in fact, almost identical) to that at Sanday Pier, i.e. a
TVWS basestation for connectivity to ferries plus a microwave radio providing a point-to-point link to
Wideford Hill. For the sake of completeness, a schematic representation of the set-up is shown in
Figure A-12, which is identical to Figure A-11.
TVWS antenna
Microwave backhaul
link to Wideford
TVWS links to ferries
TVWS radio
Figure A-12: Schematic representation of the radio node at Westray Pier.
29
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AGC Automatic Gain Control.

AGL Above Ground Level

C/I Ratio of Carrier power to Interference power.

COM Commercial multiplex.

Coupling Gain/Loss A measure of the extent to which electromagnetic energy radiated by a

CPE Customer Premises Equipment.

CWSC Centre for White Space Communications

dBm Unit of power, measured in decibels relative to 1 milliwatt (mW).

dBµV/m Unit of electric field strength, measured in decibels relative to

Downlink Radio link from BS to CPE.

DTT Digital Terrestrial Television.

DVB-T Digital Video Broadcasting - Terrestrial. (European DTT standard,

EIRP Effective/Equivalent Isotropic Radiated Power – The power that an

FCC Federal Communications Commission (US regulator).

ITU International Telecommunication Union.

LOS Lone Of Sight

MAC Medium Access Control – Mechanism by which a device’s access to the

MIMO Multiple Input, Multiple Output – The use of multiple antennas to

NLOS Non Line Of Sight

Ofcom Office of Communication (UK regulator).

PHY Physical layer – Mechanism by which signals are modulated and

POE Power Over Ethernet.

PoP Point of Presence

PSB Public Service Broadcast.

TCP Transmission Control Protocol.

UDP User Datagram Protocol.

UHF Ultra-High Frequency (300 MHz – 3 GHz).

UKPM UK Planning Model.

Uplink Radio link from CPE to BS.

UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization.

VoIP Voice over IP – the transmission of speech over IP networks.

WSD White Space Device.

2 BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT

Figure 2-2: High-level overview of White Space access framework1.

2.1 Project Partners

 Orkney Ferries operates a fleet of 9 vessels serving 13 island destinations in Orkney,

Figure 3-1: High-level network diagram.

3.1 CPE Nodes

3.1.1 Ferries (P2N)

TVWS radio (CPE)

3.1.2 Fixed Premises (P2E)

3.2 Infrastructure Nodes

4 NETWORK PERFORMANCE AND USER EXPERIENCE

4.1.1 Ferries (P2N)

Figure 4-2: Client devices connected to ferry access points.

Total number of respondents: 369

Total number of respondents: 369

Extremely likely Very likely Likely Not at all likely

Total number of respondents: 369

Total number of respondents: 369

The crew has also found the connectivity useful:

4.1.2 Fixed Premises (P2E)

5.1 Capital Costs (CapEx)

5.1.1 Radio Equipment

5.1.2 Infrastructure Nodes

5.1.3 OSS/BSS Set-Up Costs

5.2 Operating Costs (OpEx)