Microsoft and Executives Honoured at Dynamic Spectrum Alliance 2017 Global Summit Awards Ceremony for efforts in innovation in dynamic spectrum access

May 13, 2017

At the first ever Awards Ceremony at the Dynamic Spectrum Alliance annual global Summit Microsoft, Microsoft executives and network operator partner have been celebrated.

dsa

Microsoft, some of it’s executives and network operator partner were honoured at the first ever Dynamic Spectrum Alliance (DSA) Awards Ceremony.
The event took place during a gala dinner at the DSA’s 2017 Global Summit in Cape Town, South Africa. They were recognised and celebrated for their efforts in furthering innovation, increasing inclusion, and pursuing new opportunities in dynamic spectrum access.

Mawingu Networks a network operator partner of the Microsoft 4Afrika TV white spaces technology initiative received an Award for Increasing Digital Inclusion.

Mawingu Networks is a fixed, wireless, Internet access provider enabling access to affordable Internet in rural areas around Kenya.

The Award for Internet of Things (IoT) Innovation was presented to Ranveer Chandra, Principal Researcher at Microsoft for his work helping small farms increase their production and move from sustenance to production using the cloud and dynamic spectrum access.

“This award is an amazing honour and recognition for Microsoft’s work in enabling data-driven agriculture. It helps showcase how dynamic spectrum access policies, for example around TV White Spaces, are critical for democratizing access to farm data, and consequently enabling new algorithms on this data for improving the lives of farmers” – Ranveer Chandra

Also Paul Garnett, Senior Director for Affordable Access Initiatives at Microsoft, was also honoured with the award for Outstanding Leadership and Contribution for his continued efforts as Chairman of the Dynamic Spectrum Alliance Board since 2013.

“Paul Garnett has led the formation of the DSA from its inception to now, four years later, and continues to be a key leader within the organisation as the Chairman and key resource for everything related to the DSA.” – Kalpak Gude, President of Dynamic Spectrum Alliance

Microsoft 4Afrika TV white spaces makes use of unused or unassigned frequencies in the television broadcast bands to deliver low-cost, high speed wireless broadband.

By providing connectivity for previously underserved or last-mile areas, we aim to create new opportunities in commerce, education, healthcare and delivery of government services using TV white spaces technology to connect millions in Africa.

Image ? credits : Wanja Gitonga & Usaasa_ZA