Municipal Broadband Networks and their role in upgrading education broadband services

1. Municipal Broadband Networks and their role in upgrading education broadband services Christos Bouras Research Academic Computer Technology Institute Broadband Education Services, 11-12 June 2009, Crete, Greece

2. Outline • e-Learning • Definition • Types • Benefits • Problems • Broadband (the solution) • Broadband in Greece • Broadband strategy in Greece • Municipal broadband networks - Call 93

3. e-Learning • e-Learning is a type of technology supporting education / learning where the medium of instruction is through computer technology, particularly involving digital technologies • The worldwide e-learning industry is constantly increasing • The supported applications become more and more demanding • The number of students participate in online classes increases • e-Learning has high bandwidth requirements • Live audio-visual communication • Rich and high-quality (multi-)media (e.g. video) • Access to intensive simulations’ results

4. Types of e-Learning • Asynchronous • Services • E-mail • Online Courses • Discussion boards • Presentations • Webinars • Video (streaming, on-demand, etc.) • Synchronous • Services • Chat • Audio Conference • Video Conference • 3D Virtual Environments • (Harvard University delivers online courses through Virtual Environments) Higher bandwidth requirements

5. e-Learning Content • Rich media • Webcasts • Videos • Simulations • 3D content • Images (high quality) • Audio (high quality) • Bandwidth is one of the most critical factors

6. e-Learning Benefits • Bring the classroom to the students • Bring more things to the classroom • Live, interactive, anywhere • Reduce faculty travel • Substitute professors when necessary • Faculty can teach while traveling

7. Why e-Learning… • Allow learning for remote areas and/or undeveloped areas • Can allow “virtual” laboratories • All schools can acquire virtual laboratories for all courses • e-Learning constitutes an economical solution against real laboratories • Lack of available space • Virtual laboratories for all courses can be found in the same room

8. Problem definition • Some places still at dial-up speeds • Still expensive • Too slow for many applications

9. The Solution • Broadband is the solution to the problems and limitations • Provides Faster Connections • Supports more applications • Video (SD and HD) • Interactive rich media • High resolution graphics

10. Why Broadband… …Broadband access networks, from a technological aspect, can meet all these modern requirements. The supporting base for the competitiveness of a State in today’s high technology environment actually consists of advanced and high quality network infrastructures, reasonably priced, that are available to the majority of the population and provide users with always-on connectivity at sufficient speed Recently, fast progress in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) has favoured new operational models and introduced significant changes both at national and global financial levels

11. Broadband changes the waywework, we entertain ourselves, wecommunicate, wedobusinessandalterstheverybasisofeconomiccompetition Broadband… Broadband…is a vehicle for contributingandhighlightingtheGreek culturalheritage improvinghealth-care, welfareandenvironmentalservices ongoinglearningandimproving theeducationalsystem creatingnewworkingmethods and newskills modernisingbusinesscompetitiveness

12. The development of broadband infrastructures and services is of strategic importance for Greece During the last four years, Greece has been pursuing its ICT diffusion objectives through an horizontal Operational Programme for the “Information Society”. Broadband in Greece The implementation of projects under the Operational Program includes the possibility of offering broadband access to all citizens in all sectors of public and private life. Greece moves swiftly and efficiently towards the attainment of this objective.

13. Call 157 – Co-finance Telcos to implement Broadband Access and Services Broadband strategy in Greece Call 84 – Broadband Promotion • Call 105 WLAN INFRASTRUCTURE • 120 Wireless Broadband Infrastructures at regional level Various Other Complementary Broadband Projects • Calls 93 & 145 METROPOLITAN OPTICAL FIBER NETWORKS • 75 Metropolitan optical fiber networks at municipal level Create Broadband Momentum Call 195 – EXTENDING METROPOLITAN OPTICAL FIBER NETWORKS

14. Calls 93, 145 and 195 These networks, interlink the buildings of the state, local authorities, and public agencies in their respective municipality (Governance, Education, Health, Culture) Finances for the implementation of Metropolitan Optical Fibre Networks The project includes the installation of fibre optics, the creation of points of interconnection and the installation of passive and active network equipment that is required for providing the basic access as well as points of wireless access.

15. Targets of Call 93 Create conditions of competition in the provision of access and content services, based on the availability of “open” infrastructures of optical fibres Develop local access networks in small towns and non-urban or remote areas The main target of Call 93 is the development of local access network infrastructures

16. The 75 ΜΑΝsof Calls 93 & 145

17. 8 MANs in the Region of Western Greece • Municipality of Agrinio • Municipality of Aigio • Municipality of Amaliada • Municipality of Mesologgi • Municipality of Nafpaktos • Municipality of Oiniades • Municipality of Patras • Municipality of Pyrgos Region of Western Greece • Municipality of Pyrgos • Budget : € 706.382,38 • Trenches’ Length :9,791 Km • (Χ1: 8176 m - Χ3: 1615 m) • Nodes : • Main : 1 • Distribution : 2 • Access : 7 • End Points : 29 • (29 optical, 0 wireless) • Municipality of Agrinio • Budget : € 1.330.516,00 • Trenches’ Length :18,157 Km • (Χ1: 13632 m - Χ3: 4525 m) • Nodes : • Main : 2 • Distribution : 3 • Access : 7 • End Points : 44 • (44 optical, 0 wireless) • Municipality of Aigio • Budget : € 503.439,10 • Trenches’ Length :8435 m • (Χ1: 4233 m - Χ3: 4202m) • Nodes : • Main : 1 • Distribution : 2 • Access : 4 • End Points : 37 • (35 optical, 2 wireless) • Municipality of Amaliada • Budget : € 477.800,00 • Trenches’ Length :6965 m • (Χ1: 5400 m - Χ3: 1565 m) • Nodes : • Main : 1 • Distribution : 2 • Access : 4 • End Points : 24 • (24 optical, 0 wireless) • Municipality of Nafpaktos • Budget : € 390.269,90 • Trenches’ Length :6,648 Km • (Χ1: 5218 m - Χ3: 1430 m) • Nodes : • Main : 1 • Access : 5 • End Points : 27 • (23 optical, 4 wireless) • Municipality of Oiniades • Budget : € 310.304,40 • Trenches’ Length :3,448 Km • (Χ1: 3.131 m - Χ3: 317 m) • Nodes : • Main : 1 • Access : 3 • End Points : 20 • (8 optical, 12 wireless) • The smallest MAN in GREECE • Municipality of Patras • Budget : € 3.024.614,42 • Trenches’ Length :54 Km • (Χ1:38208 m - Χ3: 16385 m) • Nodes : • Main : 4 • Distribution : 6 • Access : 20 • End Points : 177 • (152 optical, 25 wireless) • The biggest MAN in GREECE • Municipality of Mesologgi • Budget : € 905.508,49 • Trenches’ Length :13,048 Km • (Χ1: 6794 m - Χ3: 6254 m) • Nodes : • Main : 1 • Distribution : 2 • Access : 6 • End Points : 56 • (52 optical, 4 wireless)

18. An Example… • MAN of Agrinio: 44 end users, 20 of which are schools

19. Target • Provide broadband education, awareness, training, access, equipment to: • Schools, libraries, healthcare providers, institutions of higher education and other community support organizations to facilitate greater use of broadband • Organizations that provide outreach, access, equipment and support services to facilitate greater use of broadband by low-income, unemployed and vulnerable populations

20. Municipal broadband and the educational sector • Universities, Technological Education Institutes, and schools are the first to make real use of the municipal broadband networks built • For schools it will be a real upgrade to their connectivity, and a move to true broadband experience • Universities and Technological Education Institutes, already enjoy high-bandwidth connectivity, but the use of the municipal broadband infrastructure is going to cut down the costs • The demand for broadband connections and a lot of services are already there. • These are the reasons that schools are going to make a effective use of the broadband infrastructure provided

21. Plans for the future The Greek State aims to co-finance and support the deployment of Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) infrastructure to Athens, and Thessaloniki (greater areas), and 54 other major cities in Greece. The infrastructure will allow the use of demanding e-learning services not only from school but also from home This opens new opportunities both for developing novel e-learning approaches and innovative applications

22. Greece Builds a… Broadband Future FOR ITS STUDENTS

23. Questions ?

24. THANK YOU! Christos Bouras (bouras@cti.gr) Computer Engineering and Informatics Department, University of Patras, Greece & Research Academic Computer Technology Institute, Patras, Greece (http://ru6.cti.gr/)