The document discusses the limitations of mobile phone connectivity, highlighting issues such as poor call quality despite advanced technology and the significant divide in access to network services, especially in developing regions. It explains the concept of spectrum in wireless communication and the various frequency bands used globally for mobile networks. Additionally, the document emphasizes the challenges faced by rural populations in accessing reliable mobile connectivity and calls for solutions to improve connectivity for all.

1. Right to Spectrum
Prologue

2. Clear and Present Danger
After several rings, John picks up my
call on his cellphone. I’ve called from
Kenya to ask his opinion. But the
connection keeps cutting out, and what I
can hear is almost unintelligible. I must
sound just as bad, because he asks me to
dial him back on his landline. This time,
his voice is much clearer. And he
immediately confirms what now seems
glaringly obvious: Despite their ubiquity
and decades-long existence, cellphones
still make for pretty poor phones.
But How can that be?

3. Today’s smartphones are incredible feats of engineering. Packing the processing power of a mid-1980s supercomputer into a
sleek, pocket-size slab, they can take photographs, play music and videos, and stream tens of megabits of data to the palm of
your hand every second. But try calling your boss in rush-hour traffic to say you’re running late, and there’s a
good chance your message won’t get through.

4. What is Spectrum?
All wireless communications signals travel over the air via radio frequency, aka spectrum.
all use invisible airwaves (SPECTRUM) to transmit bits of data through the air
The TV broadcast you watch the radio program you listen to
the GPS
device that
helps get
you where
you're going
and the wireless phone
service you use to make
phone calls and check
Facebook from your
smartphone

5. The easiest way to understand what spectrum really is and how
it provides services is to look at your radio
When you tune your radio to 93.5 FM, you are tuning into a station that is
broadcasting at 93.5 megahertz. If you want to a listen to a different station,
like one that only plays country music or jazz, you turn the dial to another
frequency like 104.7 FM. And a different radio station will be transmitting over
that particular frequency on a different setting on your radio dial. No two
stations transmit over the same spectrum at the same time in the same area,
because if they did, they'd cause interference with one another.

6. Mobile phones work much the same way. Wireless operators,
cannot transmit wireless signals over the same frequencies in
the same markets at the same time.
Lets us look at this phenomena closely

7. A key part of any mobile phone specification is its operating frequency bands.
The supported frequency bands determine whether a certain handset is
compatible with a certain network carrier.
Your mobile phone, which receive their signals from towers,
are often referred to as cell phones. A cell is typically the area
(several miles) around a tower in which a signal can be
received.

8. Frequency Bands
GSM frequency bands or frequency ranges are the cellular
frequencies designated by the International Telecommunications
Union for the operation of GSM mobile phones.
You often see these details when you buy any mobile phone

9. Although there are many frequency bands, the radio frequency spectrum ranges from very low
frequency radio waves at around 10kHz (30 kilometres wavelength) up to 100GHz (3
millimetres wavelength). The radio spectrum is divided into frequency bands reserved for a
single use or a range of compatible uses. Within each band, individual transmitters often use
separate frequencies, or channels, so they do not interfere with each other.
GSM-900 and GSM-1800 are used in most parts of the world: Europe, Middle East, Africa,
Australia, Oceania (and most of Asia).
In South and Central America the following countries use the following:
Bolivia – GSM-850 and 1900
Paraguay – GSM-850 and 1900
Peru – GSM-1900
Costa Rica – GSM-1800
Brazil – GSM-850, 900, 1800 and 1900
Guatemala – GSM-850, GSM-900 and 1900
El Salvador – GSM-850, GSM-900 and 1900
Venezuela – GSM-850, GSM-900 and 1900
GSM-900 and GSM-1800

10. Today, most telephones support multiple bands as used in different countries to facilitate roaming. These
are typically referred to as multi-band phones. Dual-band phones can cover GSM networks in pairs
such as 900 and 1800 MHz frequencies (Europe, Asia, Australia and Brazil) or 850 and 1900 (North
America and Brazil). European tri-band phones typically cover the 900, 1800 and 1900 bands giving
good coverage in Europe and allowing limited use in North America, while North American tri-band
phones utilize 850, 1800 and 1900 for widespread North American service but limited worldwide use. A
new addition has been the quad-band phone, also known as a World Phone, supporting at least all four
major GSM bands, allowing for global use (excluding non-GSM countries such as Japan or South Korea).
With millions of phones serving most of us. We often take
our ability to connect for granted. Whereas there are a
large number of us living in developing countries who still
need to travel a mile to make a call.

11. A Disconnect
East African Community (EAC) figures suggest 90 percent of
schools and 30 percent of hospitals in the region are off-grid,
while only 24 percent of the developing world is connected to the
internet.
While South Africa and a few other African countries have mobile phone networks that reach
around 80% of the population, other countries have 10% coverage and less. High speed
broadband networking is often available in the major cities and some other areas. For the rest,
network coverage is through the mobile phone network which is 2G, or EDGE (2.5G) at best.
What do these terms imply?
If you can remember the days of dial-up 9600 baud modems, that's about
what you can expect on these networks. To put it another way if you're too
young to remember the 'good old days’, Broadband is defined as better
than 1 Mbit/sec , while 2G is about 1/100th of that.
The presentation is based on the African context, but it is felt that it is equally applicable to other developing
regions in Asia and the Americas

12. Network connectivity is slow, unstable and often non-
existent in the remote areas of the developing world.
Important Note
The Major Reason Why Some of Us Are Left Out
Costs of network connectivity are high
Number of People in a remote area are often not enough for Telecom
Companies to make profits out of.
Awareness
Other Minor Reasons

13. In Conclusion
How can we create a world where everyone is connected?
What steps should we take to include our brothers in the remotest areas in our “global
village”?