Bridging the Digital Divide in Education: IPTV Architecture Using TVWS, FFmpeg, and OBS

Abstract

In Africa, the digital divide in education, particularly in underserved rural areas, remains a major challenge for inclusion and equitable access to educational resources, according to UNESCO’s Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4), which aims to ensure access for all, children and adults alike, to equitable, free, and quality education and to promote lifelong learning opportunities. This article proposes an innovative solution based on leveraging television white spaces (TVWS) to provide a broadband infrastructure for broadcasting educational content via an IPTV architecture. By using FFmpeg for video encoding, Open Broadcaster Software (OBS) for capture and live streaming, and the HLS (HTTP Live Streaming) protocol for adaptive video stream distribution, this architecture enables the delivery of real-time classes to students in low-connectivity environments. TVWS technology offers a wider range than traditional wireless networks, making it particularly suitable for remote areas. The Nginx-RTMP server is used to manage the distribution of live video streams, ensuring smooth and efficient broadcasting. This innovative approach highlights the effectiveness of this architecture in overcoming connectivity limitations while reducing costs associated with traditional IPTV and network infrastructures, thereby providing a viable and sustainable solution to bridge the digital divide and increase accessibility to distance education in the most isolated regions.