ISSUE 5, January 2006
The A-BARD consortium wishes you a happy New Year and Fast,
Cheap Broadband Access wherever you may be in 2006!
Welcome to issue 5
The New Year starts with aspirations of higher speeds and ubiquity of access in all of Europe. In this Fifth issue of the A-BARD eNewsletter, we look at how wireless technologies may help to achieve 100% coverage in Europe. We also report from our e-Learning workshop held during the BBeurope conference n Bordeaux in December 2005 and look at how e-Learning delivered through broadband can help European rural areas remain competitive. To download the full reports on wireless technologies or e-Learning report, go to www.a-bard.org
WIRELESS BROADBAND
This century, wireless has grown rapidly as one of the most cost effective ways of delivering broadband to rural areas. The main reasons are:
Wireless equipment has dropped in price, reducing the cost for organisations wishing to deliver data over wireless.
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eLearning in the context of rural broadband
Distance learning has progressed from what was the provision of correspondence courses to the present day delivery of dynamic learning content when required by the learner.
If we accept that human capital is the main source of competitive advantage then learning is the key to developing skills and maintaining employability. Moving from a post industrial economy to a knowledge economy demands more learning facilities and opportunities.
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Next Issue February 2006
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WIRELESS BROADBAND
This century, wireless has grown rapidly as one of the most cost effective ways of delivering broadband to rural areas. The main reasons are:
Wireless equipment has dropped in price, reducing the cost for organisations wishing to deliver data over wireless.
Availability of radio spectrum – no need to obtain a license before providing a service.
Low cost end user equipment.
There are a number of different types of wireless broadband, each offering different levels of performance, security and robustness. This paper will cover some of the main technologies and examine the issues around them. It focuses on wireless technologies that are being used to deliver broadband in rural areas now.
The key technologies which will be discussed are:
WI-FI
Overview
One of the most widely available wireless connections, WiFi is split into different standards, capable of different speeds and penetration. They each offer different rates of data transfer.
Manufacturers develop equipment which works together and this has helped to dramatically reduce costs. WiFi is typically used to provide a low cost link to a home or business from a central access point in a village or town. In most cases, a fast internet link arrives via a local council, business or school and this is “shared out” using a wireless network to customers in a community.
Technology
The main WiFi standards are:
802.11a – capable of high data speeds over relatively short distances using the 5Ghz frequency. This is good for delivering video and large amounts of data, but the limited range means it is hard to make a case for dispersed rural areas. 802.11b – capable of 11Mb/s although in reality the throughput is closer to 5Mb/s.
Equipment is now available at relatively low cost and most new laptops have WiFi connectivity built in as standard. It is good at covering short distances and is popular with many WiFi operators.
802.11g – capable of 54Mb/s is capable of high data rates but can only cover relatively short ranges compared to 802.11b.
Case study: CASE STUDY
Cybermoor in the UK uses WiFi to deliver broadband to a remote rural community. Cybermoor takes a broadband service from the school, which is delivered using wireless equipment. It is then shared out around the community through transmitters on farms, village halls and shops. The equipment can deliver a service over 2 miles, reaching isolated farms. The maximum service available is 512kbs. Cybermoor has been providing a service since 2002, and it has continued to grow, despite the arrival of competitors using ADSL. Each house requires an aerial, which then connects to the wireless network. The project uses 802.11b equipment, supplied by Cisco.
WIMAX
WiMAX is being developed as the standard which follows WiFi to provide wireless broadband to wide areas. WIMAX has been referred to as “WIFI on steroids” because of its extended range. It can provide broadband to fixed (farms, houses) and portable devices such as laptops for people on the move. It is complementary to WiFi and can be used to provide backhaul to WiFi hotspots. Lower latency means that phone calls over wireless broadband are possible WiMAX is an informal term that covers two emerging broadband wireless standards IEEE 802.16d (fixed) and 802.16e (mobile). These will not be ratified until 2006, although several manufacturers are selling pre WiMAX equipment.
Major industry backers like Intel are raising awareness of WiMAX, in the hope that it will challenge WiFi
MOBILE PHOMES 2.5G /3G
Overview
Most of Europe is covered by mobile phone networks which are currently being upgraded to offer faster and better quality data services. Most companies are now offering 2.5G services or GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) This is an “always on” data connection to a device like a laptop or mobile phone which offers 56Kbs on average.
3G stands for Third Generation mobile telephone technology. It allows much more data to be transferred than GPRS, and can support video calls and music downloads. It is sometimes referred to as Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS). It can generally support up to 1.92Mbs but most users get 384Kbs. 3G is much faster than GPRS and offers more of a broadband experience.
CONCLUSIONS ON WIRELESS TECHNOLOGIES
- The success of early WiMAX projects appears to stem from offering very reliable services which can easily be compared to competitors (T1 services).
- There are not many “WiMAX only” services running. Hybrid WiMAX / WiFi solutions are most popular at the moment.
- Some public sector support is required for rural WiMAX projects.
- The cheapest wireless broadband networks can be built with WiFi and these will provide basic connectivity.
- With more money, pre-WiMAX networks provide more bandwidth and have greater range. However, end user equipment is more expensive.
eLearning in the context of rural broadband
Distance learning has progressed from what was the provision of correspondence courses to the present day delivery of dynamic learning content when required by the learner.
If we accept that human capital is the main source of competitive advantage then learning is the key to developing skills and maintaining employability. Moving from a post industrial economy to a knowledge economy demands more learning facilities and opportunities.
This requirement can be more acute in a rural economy that is undergoing the quantum jump from an economy based on primary production to a knowledge based economy.
Not only do knowledge workers have a (insatiable) need for knowledge whether in the form of formal or informal learning resources, but they also need a more systematic approach to accessing and sharing knowledge. They need to access knowledge resources, process and share knowledge.
What is e-Learning?
Convergence of the Internet and learning,
- Use of network technologies to create, foster, deliver, and facilitate learning, anytime and anywhere
- Delivery of individualized, comprehensive, dynamic learning content in real time, aiding the development of communities of knowledge, linking learners and practitioners with experts.
e-learning offers:
- Study flexibility in terms of both time and place. (In many cases CD types modules or classroom type lectures do not meet this need.)
- Often a greater choice of course content
- Involvement with fellow learners and tutors, as required.
e-Learning for all
The day of having to travel to specialised centres to discover and learn best practice is rapidly coming to an end. eLearning can connect the rural student to the urban expert and vice versa. The same quality education can be made available to all with suitable telecommunications.
With reductions in the cost of courseware small businesses can afford the same high level learning modules as large conglomerates.
Some eLearning courseware use video game technology to provide effective simulations. Others grow skills through the use of games such as quiz shows. Where gaming simulations are used, interactivity can suffer if there is latency in the communications channel.
Increasingly education authorities are using eLearning to provide courses in badly served rural areas or to bring in on-line skills from other areas to augment a local need.
The advent of wireless and mobile technologies (sometimes called “mLearning”) has added to the flexibility of eLearning delivery at the local level
Rural eLearning Issues
The main drivers behind eLearning developments tend to be identified as technical innovation, organisational and business development and the needs of the individual learner. Availability of wireless access to high bandwidth or web enabled mobile phones is an example of where technical innovation can facilitate new opportunities for delivery of eLearning products. Businesses or the eLearning industry will experiment with new or viable models for delivery of new products facilitated by this evolving technical infrastructure. The identifiable needs of the individual user will determine the ultimate success of these new products.
Standards & Quality Assurance
The major growth and advances in eLearning over the past decade have led to a period of consolidation with an emphasis on standards
User
Requirements & Context
Along with technical standards, development practices have matured and user requirements have become central to product origination. Understanding of learner’s requirements is now seen as equally as important as understanding eLearning content. The context of the learner’s situation is at last becoming a factor in eLearning product design. Of course the evolving eLearning technology itself can help to advance beyond a “one fits all” or universal template
The i2010 initiative proposes:
To continue this multi-stakeholder discussion to provide policy guidance and identify key actions for consideration on eLearning related themes in 2005;
To reinforce stocktaking and consolidate best practices across policy areas and to review and evaluate eLearning results in the broader perspective in 2006;
To translate EU ambitions into projects through the launch of the new Integrated Lifelong Learning Programme, the 7th Framework Programme and the Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme in 2007;
To support digital literacy and lifelong learning for all, as we work towards the launch of a major European initiative for eInclusion in 2008
Why is eLearning important for rural areas
Rural areas tend to loose younger people who are looking for employment or who are going to study at specific learning institutes. This drains the skills and knowledge base of rural areas.
eLearning and its delivery through broadband would appear to offer an opportunity to re-vitalise rural areas, enabling rural renewal, both socially and economically. eLearning offers the potential for new types of knowledge based local employment.
This appears to be critical with the decline of traditional farming and the need for re-skilling of local residents.
While young people will continue to leave rural areas better communications may help to retain more young people. It is critically important that young people are connected if only for the purpose of accessing more diverse learning opportunities.
Nevertheless if these connections are through low speed and unreliable networks, then rural based learners are at a disadvantage. Broadband and especially fast broadband would appear to level the learning opportunities for rural residents vs. a v their urban counterparts.
Next Issue February 2006
- Wired broadband technology
- Is entertainment the true driver of broadband deployment?
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