Czech Case Study

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Czech Case Study

• Pavel Gnip, Karel Charvat, CCSS

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aBard

• Analysing Broadband Access for Rural Development
  (A-BARD) is a 24 month Coordination Action
  started in January 2005 to research rural
  broadband provision and use, as part of the
  Scientific Support to Policies ( SSP ) in the EU
  Sixth Framework Programme.
• A-BARD aims to continuously identify views on the
  issues and barriers to widespread broadband
  provision and the extent to which broadband can
  act as an external driver of change in rural
  economies.
• Targeted to the needs of rural communities A-BARD
  addresses questions close to eRural actors such
  as
• Rural broadband deployment in rural Europe
  issues, models, best practices, affordability and
  acessibility?
• Broadband Applications and Services what is
  emerging and can some of those applications and
  services directly address the digital divide?

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

• A-BARD (Analysing Broadband Access for Rural
  Development )
• Coordination Action to research rural broadband
  provision use
• Part of the Scientific Support to Policies (SSP)
  in the EU Sixth Framework Programme
• During 2005 2006, A-BARD will continuously
  identify
• Views on the issues barriers to widespread
  broadband provision
• How broadband can act as a driver of change in
  rural economies
• Partners
• National Microelectronics Application Centre Ltd
  (MAC) Ireland
• Ceske Centrum Pro Strategicka Studia
  (CCSS) Czech Republic
• Institute of Communication Information
  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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Project Overview

• A-BARD Goals
• 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 and interests
• Identify the institutional policy frameworks
  that are delaying roll-out
• Identify areas where further RTD is needed to
  provide universal solutions

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Key questions that A-BARD will address include

• What applications and services exist ?, what is
  emerging ?, how ?, when ? who
  should implement the solutions ?
• When will they be accessible and affordable in
  rural areas ?
• What socio-economic aspects need to be considered
  
• to ensure that meaningful applications and
  services development and implementation takes
  place in rural areas?

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Project Vision

• To create a European Technology Platform
  involving stakeholders of the whole eRural value
  chain, in order to achieve the objectives fixed
  by the Lisbon Strategy and eEurope initiative

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A-BARD target audience

• Users (Actual or potential) of broadband
  services, applications and technologies in rural
  areas, local public and private sectors actors
• Local, regional, national and European policy
  makers,
• Local, regional, national and European
  authorities
• Fellow EU broadband projects and other European
  networks clusters.

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What is the situation of community Internet
access in the country, which layers of society
does the Internet reach?

• Rapid change during last year
• Potential coverage of all population by broadband
  (CDMA, EDGE, ADSL, cable TV)
• Usage Internet by companies on relatively high
  level
• Usage of Internet by citizens still low under
  European average (there is not direct relation
  between coverage and usage)
• Main users urban citizens, young people,
  urbanized rural areas (areas around large cities)

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Who are the protagonists of Internet access State

• Ministry of Informatics National Broadband
  Strategy
• In 2005 Ministry supported Internet access by
  grants 25M Euro
• Regions for example Vysocina Rowanet Project
  building fiber network in rural region
• Municipalities networks build on the base of
  grants

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Who are the protagonists of Internet access
Business

• Czech Telecom (ADSL)
• Alternative operators (GITY, etc)
• Cable TV main internet providers in big cities
• Mobile operators (play important role because
  they offer flat rate for GPRS, CDMA and EDGE)
• Regional and local operators

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Who are the protagonists of Internet access
Communities

• FreeNet local networks organized by citizens

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What is their service profile?

• Key role on market
• Mobile operators CR has penetration of mobile
  phones 110.For Web they offer flat rate services
  
• Cable TV flat rate services
• Grooving importance of ADSL in last year

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What is their service profile?

• Municipalities
• Free or paid services to local business and
  citizens
• FreeNet
• Services for members of network and access using
  WIFI

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What are the consequences of sustainability?

• Internet start to play important role in rural
  development.
• Vysocina case documented, that investment to
  infrastructure and application could improve
  situation in all regions
• Internet start to be important not only for new
  commence, but start play role also in such
  applications like agriculture

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What are the consequences of sustainability?

• Entertainment and young people play important
  role in usage of Internet and need of better
  connectivity, but it has also influence on rest
  of population
• Demand is slowly grooving

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Are there any national characteristics?

• Flat rate of mobile operators for data services
• FreeNet model

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Potential problems

• Education of population (mainly rural)
• Awareness
• Till now limited access in some areas
• Needs for applications

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Questions Answers

• A-BARD First Review