A Menu-driven Interface for a Geolocation Database for Wireless Spectrum Sharing Armie E. Pakzad 1 , Xavier Francis B. Asuncion 1 , Joshua Vincent G. Ligayo 1 , Raine Mattheus C. Manuel 1 , Jerrick Spencer K. Uy 1 , and Lawrence Materum 1,2 1 De La Salle University, Manila, Philippines 2 Tokyo City University, Tokyo, Japan Email: armie.pakzad@dlsu.edu.ph Abstract —Spectrum sharing is of paramount importance in television white space (TVWS) wireless communications. Secondary users must ensure that their operation in any TV channel does not interfere with the transmission of the primary users and other secondary users. This paper presents a menu- driven interface (MDI) which a secondary user inquirer may utilize to determine the TV channels available. The MDI utilizes a reinforcement learning-based algorithm and an interference indicator to determine the availability of each TV channel for secondary use. The algorithm utilized a set of parameters to provide accurate data on the availability of the channel. These parameters include time, location, and the receiving antenna parameters. The algorithm was able to produce an accuracy of 94.69% in determining the availability of the channel based on the broadcasting time of primary users (PUs) and an accuracy of 84.38% based on four tested locations. Index Terms — Television white space, spectrum sharing, Geo- location Database, Menu-driven Interface, Co-existence I. INTRODUCTION Television white space (TVWS) communications is a continuously growing approach with the potential for spectrum sharing for different purposes like Internet connectivity and long-range communications. The gaps in the spectrum arise from the idle time PUs or licensed users have operating at their given frequencies. The use of TVWS communications is seen to improve the delivery of services in rural areas. Only 15% of the TV spectrum is utilized at present. Thus it could be a great way to connect almost 3 billion people worldwide [1]. Due to this vacancy, secondary or unlicensed users (SU) can use the same frequency spectrum provided they do not interfere with the signal of adjacent PUs. This event is where spectrum sharing techniques are essential for co-existence in the frequency spectrum. As long as SUs have the necessary information to know the transmitting specifications of a primary user, the secondary user can make necessary adjustments to not interfere with any other user operating in the frequency spectrum. An example of a spectrum sharing approach SUs can adopt is having access to a geolocation database. SUs who have access to a geolocation database can know the location of PUs, their broadcast schedule, and the Manuscript received August 25, 2021; revised December 15, 2021. doi:10.12720/jcm.17.1.56-62 range of these stations. With this information, SUs who want to use the frequency spectrum can know which frequency band is being used. According to [2], it is imperative to apply regulations on controlling the co-existence of secondary users and stop interference with primary users. There should be network management tools to enable the applied utilization and co-existence of extensive TVWS networks in a dynamic spectrum access atmosphere. TVWS wireless communications is an emerging technique developed to provide wireless connectivity over long distances using spectrum that are not in use by TV broadcasters. An existing functionality of TVWS is to provide Internet access to rural areas. TVWS refers to the unutilized spectrum bands found within the Very-High Frequency (VHF) range and the Ultra-High Frequency (UHF) spectrum. TVWS was developed to overcome the range limitations of wireless technologies, like Wi-Fi. With Wi-Fi, the coverage range and data throughput are limited due to the frequency band that it utilizes, specifically, 2.4GHz to 5GHz [3]. TVWS technology has already been implemented in different countries for various applications that require an Internet connection. Applications include inter- connectivity for schools and hospitals and Internet access to rural areas and other areas with poor broadband Internet reception [4]. The lack of information regarding PUs within the Philippine settings poses a challenge for a geolocation database implementation in the Philippines. Furthermore, the necessary information needed to plot the transmitting stations' contour map includes transmitter power, transmitter location, antenna height above average terrain, and broadcast schedule. This information is essential in computing the broadcast range of the transmitter stations. This study aims to create a Menu-driven interface (MDI) that would show the contour map of different PUs in Metro Manila, Philippines, and plot a secondary user's contour plot. A Yagi-Uda antenna was used to determine the accuracy of the data from the MDI. The analog antenna was utilized to validate the information from the contour map plot generated from the MDI. TVWS technology provides a means for Internet connectivity over great distances. It is crucial to have the means to allow the sharing of the frequency spectrum Journal of Communications Vol. 17, No. 1, January 2022 ©2022 Journal of Communications 56