Towards unlicensed cellular networks in TV white spaces
In this paper we study network architecture for unlicensed cellular networking for outdoor coverage in TV white spaces. The main technology proposed for TV white spaces is 802.11af, a Wi-Fi variant adapted for TV frequencies. However, 802.11af is originally designed for improved indoor propagation. We show that long links, typical for outdoor use, exacerbate known Wi-Fi issues, such as hidden and exposed terminal, and significantly reduce its efficiency. Instead, we propose CellFi, an alternative architecture based on LTE.