In recent years, the emergence of wireless broadband technologies for rural areas using cognitive radios designed
for coexistence in the VHF and UHF bands traditionally allocated to TV broadcasting (“white space spectrum”) has
been spurred by two main drivers: the government support and intervention in rural broadband initiatives, and the
accelerated migration to Digital Terrestrial Television in many countries. In this article, we examine technical and
economic criteria for evaluating feasibility in expansion plans of broadband access in rural areas of developing
nations within the concept of Wireless Regional Area Networks (WRAN), including the eventual application of white
space spectrum and cognitive radios as technology options. We discuss geographical aspects, priority policies and
techno-economic constraints of the proposed technologies referred to its eventual application in rural areas.