Broadband for Rural Regions Dr' John J OFlaherty, ABARD Project Manager, MAC Ltd, j'oflahertymac'ie

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Broadband for Rural Regions Dr. John J
OFlaherty,A-BARD Project Manager, MAC
Ltd,j.oflaherty_at_mac.ie

• Rural Broadband Situation in Europe
• Rural Wins Project (2002-2003)
• Valencia Declaration (2003)
• Digital Divide Forum (2005)
• A-BARD Project (2005-2006)

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Rural Regions are critical to the future of the EU

• Rural areas are a core European asset
• which can reach their full potential by using
  developing modern ICT (Information
  Communications Technologies)
• to increase the quality of life work of the
  citizens in rural regions,
• to strengthen the value creation in rural economy
  both in traditional and new, ICT supported,
  sectors
• enabling rural areas to fully integrate
  participate in the Knowledge-based Economy of
  Europe.

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Rural Regions are critical to the future the EU

• Valencia Declaration (2003)
• Rural Development is a key policy area for the
  21st Century
• ICT must play a key role in this
• Rural Wins (2004)
• Market forces alone are increasing the
  Urban/Rural Digital Divide.
• Digital Divide Forum Report (2005) EU COM Paper
  (2006)
• Remote rural areas are less well served in
  broadband rollout.
• Rural Areas can be Engines for Implementing the
  i2010 renewed Lisbon Agenda (_at_Rural - Nov05)
• Local concepts of value and local vision of
  preferred future.
• Develop human-centred reference models of
  sustainable rural life-styles
• A-BARD (2005-2006)
• Technological development broadband wireless
  solutions have changed the dynamics
  possibilities of rural broadband deployment.
• Prague Declaration (May 2006) ..
• eRural Agenda for the future of the EU all
  Member States.

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Broadband Situation in Europe

• In the EU i2010 Initiative - broadband take-up is
  considered an important factor for the emerging
  digital economy competitiveness.
• But Broadband usage is very low (from EU
  eCommunications Broadband Growth in the EU)
• Now perhaps - 14 for EU25 - 17.0 for EU15
  - 4.5 for EU10 !

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Broadband Situation in Europe

• Broadband Delivery does not favour Rural Areas
• DSL has 80.4 of fixed broadband lines
• Cable has 16.8 of the lines
• Only 2.8 are provided by all other broadband
  delivery technologies
• including those most relevant to remote rural
  areas, such as
• Satellite,
• Wireless local loop (WLL),
• PLC
• Etc

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Rural areas are falling behind in Broadband
From 2003 to 2004 Huge growth in urban suburban
Broadband access, but rural almost static. So
Rural Regions are falling behind !
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Valencia Declaration Feb 03

• Commission DG AGRI DG INFOS, and Gov of
  Valencia Feb 2003
• Called for
• Share experience of the rural Information Society
  to jointly achieve high impact.
• Technical Socio-economic research of the new
  drivers of the networked Information Society
• Community public-private partnership to jointly
  develop the critical technological and service
  infrastructures.
• The 4 essential pillars for the Rural Information
  Society - need user-centered easy-to-implement
  easy-to-use solutions.
• Infrastructures
• Services
• Work
• Business

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Valencia Declaration Feb 03

• Called for (continued)
• Must develop equal telecommunications
  infrastructures in all areas throughout Europe.
• Need joint development of
• new value-creation activities in business
  services in rural areas.
• Need innovative actions
• catalyzing widely the creativity economic
  development in rural areas.

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RURAL WINS Project

• Thematic Network in IST Programme of FP5
• Build an agreed Strategic RTD Roadmap for Rural
  Maritime Areas
• to deploy broadband communications solutions
• to overcome the discriminatory gap in access to
  the Information Society
• July 2002 to June 2003
• Participants
• Euskaltel (E), Alfamicro (P), BIBA (D), CCSS
  (CZ), Iqsoft (HU), MAC(IE), NWLabs (IE),
  Powerlake (SE), RTS (I), SES (L)
• Plus 20 Members covering E, HU, FI, E, RO, PL,
  D, I, GR, FR, P.
• Wider Constituency gt200 - interested
  organisations across Europe

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Types of Rural Areas

• Based on the DG REGIO European qualitative
  classifications
• Integrated Rural Areas
• Regions close to large cities
• Intensive Tourist regions
• Industralised rural regions
• Intermediate Rural Areas
• Far from urban centres with a mix of primary
  secondary sectors.
• Typically areas with larger farms
• Remote Rural Areas
• Lowest population densities geographic barriers
• Low incomes
• Older populations
• Depend heavily on agriculture, fishing or
  forestry.

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For each type of Rural Region

• Stimulate Demand Know why
• ICT Skills Know how

• Integrated Regions
• Intermediate Regions
• Remote Regions

• eEurope / EU Rural Policy
• Economic
• Social
• Technological
• Sustainability

• Access Technologies
• User Technologies
• Regulatory

• eGovernment/NGO
• (Killer Apps ?)
• Commercial
• Producer Internal

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Technology Routes for Rural Broadband

• Status of Technologies
• Internet is the ultimate distributed system
• Convergence towards mobility and intelligence
  anywhere/anytime
• Broadband not being provided to rural areas.
• Rural Maritime areas are disadvantaged
• Commercial market alone cannot deliver
• Business Models challenges
• ICT Services have been designed based on urban
  business models
• Providers short-term focus operate against rural
  areas.
• Alternative Business Models to achieve Universal
  Broadband Access
• Public/Private Partnerships
• Public-funding/support of both Supply Demand
  (slow take-up).
• New access technologies

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Rural Broadband Strategic Access Technologies

• Patchwork of Fixed Mobile access technologies
• cost-effective delivery to dispersed users
• Standard fibre/cable, copper mobile
  (GPRS/3G)
• Satellite (DVB RCS)
• Quick Initial Phase for Remote Areas
• Final Mile First Mile
• Satellite direct
• WLAN WiFi Community Mesh Networks
• Power Line Transmission
• Fixed Wireless Access (huge progress - WiMax)
• etc

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Digital Divide Forum Report Key Issues
Broadband Access Public Support in
Under-served Areas (2005)

• Remote Rural Regions are less well served
• 90 urban but only 62 of rural populations have
  access to broadband.
• 15 of the EU population will never have
  terrestrial broadband access.
• Coverage is progressing fast - driven by demand
  innovation.
• Take-up is lagging behind, especially in rural
  areas.
• Public Intervention needs to be Cautious - not to
  inhibit market incentives and innovation nor to
  distort competition
• Important to stimulate use take-up.
• Some Areas will be delayed or excluded from
  broadband rollout
• 4.7 million would-be users will be excluded by
  commercial rollout in 2013
• Public intervention may be necessary - informed
  by
• Minimising competition distortions open access
  infrastructure - technological neutrality
• Local decision making target public intervention
  based on local demand.
• Integrated approaches, e.g. enhancement of skills
  through training and digital literacy.

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Digital Divide Forum Report EU level actions

• Structural Funds
• on the basis of Guidelines published by the
  Commission to minimise competition distortions
  and safeguard a technology-neutral approach.
• Public-Private Partnerships
• To facilitate investment in open infrastructure
  as long as competition rules are respected.
• Intensify Exchange of best practices and
  reinforced monitoring.
• A pan-European initiative for very sparsely
  populated areas to ensure coverage by satellite.
• demand aggregation to reduce costs
• where satellite is the only practicable solution
  for broadband delivery.

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Digital Divide Forum Report Proposes 2 Policy
Approaches

• Strengthen National Broadband Strategies,
  coordinated by EU
• National Mapping of infrastructure
• National Targets in terms of
• Coverage Take-up
• Distinguish (a) Urban, (b) Suburban (c) Rural
  Areas.
• Minimum Speed requirements
• Linked to use of Structural Funds
• Website for Regional Local Authorities.
• Relevant information on Policy Practice.
• Publish information on under-served areas
  tenders, etc
• Demand aggregation especially where satellite
  is the only option
• Information for monitoring National Strategies
• Workshops surveys of regional administrations.

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A-BARD www.a-bard.org

• A-BARD
• Analysing Broadband Access for Rural Development
  
• A 2 year EU Coordination Action project
  (2005-2006)
• Researching rural broadband provision and use
• Part of the Scientific Support to Policies (SSP)
  in the EU Sixth Framework Programme
• Conducted by 7 Partners from 6 European
  countries
• National Microelectronics Application Centre Ltd
  (MAC) Ireland
• Ceske Centrum Pro Strategicka Studia
  (CCSS) Czech Rep.
• Institute of Comms Info Technologies Ltd (ITTI)
  Poland
• Mainstrata (MSTR) Spain
• Cybermoor (CYBM) UK
• North West Labs Ltd (NWLabs) Ireland
• Power Lake AB (PLAB) Sweden

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A-BARD www.a-bard.org Analysing Broadband
Access for Rural Development

• A-BARD aims to be bottom-up report actual
  situation
• Focus enhance awareness understanding of the
  benefits of broadband applications services
  deployment in rural areas.
• Facilitate the exchange of experience best
  practice to rural stakeholders interests
• Identify the institutional policy frameworks
  that are delaying roll-out
• Identify areas where further RTD is needed to
  provide universal solutions
• During 2005 2006, A-BARD is continuously
  identifying
• Views on the issues barriers to widespread
  broadband provision
• How broadband can act as a driver of change in
  rural economies
• From those who are directly involved

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What is Broadband ?

• Broadband is about Digital Inclusion for all
  rural areas
• Its an aspiration to
• accessible, affordable, convenient, always-on,
  fully-interactive connectivity
• use of ICT to overcome the Digital Divide
• Thus achieve equality with all urban areas.
• Broadband is dynamic, relative constantly
  changing
• faster than what I had before
• an evolution scenario for rural areas,
• that A-BARD is tracking presenting on an
  on-going basis.

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Broadband is very dynamic

• As broadband is a very dynamic area, with
  technology, applications and services moving very
  fast
• A-BARD provides information on rural broadband
  provision,
• Continuous monitoring, reporting and analysis of
  current trends and recent developments
• Access and use in the rural areas across Europe

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Broadband is very dynamic

• As broadband is a very dynamic area, with
  technology, applications and services moving very
  fast
• A-BARD is useful for
• Rural groups, communities, local authorities
  looking for information on broadband issues /
  implementations for rural areas
• Actors engaged in initiatives programmes
  relating to broadband
• Policy Makers involved in the broadband area
• Local and Regional authorities
• National governments
• European Commission

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A-BARD MISSION

• A-BARD addresses the following questions
• What applications services exist, what is
  emerging?
• When will they be accessible affordable in
  rural areas?
• What socio-economic aspects need to be considered
  to ensure applications and services development
  implementation take place in rural areas?
• infuses into policy documents
• Usability acceptability issues critical to the
  deployment use of ICT in rural areas to
  understand the impact of IT as an external driver
  of change

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A-BARD Reports - Themes Issues
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A-BARD Results (1 of 2)

• All reports with relevant content for the public
  are on www.a-bard.org include
• A-BARD Technology Reports
• Rural Areas identification and mapping paper
• Fixed Wireless Access (especially WiMax) changes
  the situation of Rural Broadband Access
• Two parameters matter
• Settlement pattern
• Number of potential local users
• 6 Issues/Opportunities discussion papers
• 1. eHealth, Katrinholm, SE
• 2. eLearning, Bordeaux, FR
• 3. Local eGov, Arrieta, ES
• 4. eCommunity NW Svcs, UK
• 5. eRural Svcs/eContent/eCulture, PL
• 6. A-BARD eRural Conference

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A-BARD Results (2 of 2)

• All reports with relevant content for the public
  are on www.a-bard.org include
• Development Scenarios
• Guidelines/Toolkits
• Rural area case studies workshops
• 1. Katrineholm Case Study, SE
• 2. Rakow Polish Rural Area Case Study, PL
• 3. Arrieta Rural Area Case Study, ES
• 4. Alston Moor Rural Area Case Study, UK
• 5. Visijina Czech Rural Area Case Study, CZ
• 6. Caherciveen Rural Area Case Study, IE
• A-BARD Current Trends Developments
  e-Newsletters 1-8
• Issues 1-6 on web site.
• A-BARD Recommendations
• At the end of the project.

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A-BARD eNewsletters

• The A-BARD newsletter is published in HTML and
  PDF accessible to different target groups
  including local communities Local authorities
• Aim to give a pulse of BB development affecting
  rural areas
• Report on some of the issues identified in
• the project
• Report on the workshop proceedings
• Give breaking news of cases studies
  deployments in rural areas

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www.a-bard.org

• www.a-bard.org is the centre of A-BARD
• www.a-bard.org gives eRural value chain actors a
  one Stop Shop to information and material
  relevant to the deployment of broadband in rural
  areas
• Deals with broad issues from technical solution
  for rural areas to policy initiatives to reduce
  the Digital Divide

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www.a-bard.org Visit Register
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Thank You
?

• Dr. John J OFlaherty,
• A-BARD Project Manager, MAC Ltd,
• j.oflaherty_at_mac.ie