Unlocking the potential of unoccupied spectrum in developing countries: Southern African Development Community – case study

The lack of adequate telecommunications infrastructure in developing regions makes wireless systems the most feasible solution for providing Internet connectivity. With the global migration of television (TV) systems from analogue to digital, the TV spectrum is expected to be shared between broadcasting and broadband services. However, the absence of suitable regulatory policies for TV band sharing and low average revenue per user experienced by wireless network operators makes it difficult to deploy broadband networks in developing regions, especially in rural areas. This article presents a co-evolution analysis of three key domains of change (policy, technology and business) in providing broadband connectivity focusing on the Southern African Development Community region. Furthermore, the article proposes public–private partnership and public–private–people partnership models for deploying wireless broadband networks in developing regions. This article is useful to various stakeholders, including policy-makers, governments, the wireless communications industry and academia, by addressing the digital divide in developing regions.