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RURAL WINGS projectRURAL WINGS project

FP6-516161FP6-516161

Institute of Communications and Computer SystemsInstitute of Communications and Computer Systems

Microwave and Fiber Optics Lab, Athens, GreeceMicrowave and Fiber Optics Lab, Athens, Greece

14/11/200414/11/2004

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Project Overview

Strategic objectives addressed:Strategic objectives addressed: End-to-end satellite End-to-end satellite telecommunications systems for tele-education applications telecommunications systems for tele-education applications

Main aims of RURAL WINGS

Rural Wings proposes to develop an advanced learning platform through satellite DVB-RCS access technologies, promoting a user-centred methodological approach which constitutes its major innovation.

to support the creation of a new culture in rural communities promoting digital literacy and reducing resistance to the use of new technologies

to offer stimulating and creative learning environments to support vibrant user communities and to attempt an extended implementation in dozens of pilot

sites in 18 countries worldwide.

to catalyse the satellite broadband take up in Europe .

the ultimate goal is the transfer of knowledge and the adjustment of these practices in different knowledge spaces (at school, at work, at home) as a mean for

interaction between user needs and technological developments

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Project Objectives To perform an extended validation process and a usability evaluation of the technology, scenario settings and services that will be offered to the users, during the development and integration of the final system

To determine how the DVB-RCS platform will need to evolve in order to fulfil increasing user expectations and to compare this with current developments that are under way at the equipment manufacturers

To create a world-wide network of Learning Hubs in rural areas

To introduce a new learning culture. To empower people in all the stages of their life to invent their own solutions

To provide a range of learning methods that will enable users to become independent learners

Provision of e-Learning tools that can be used by all members of the local community who are in need of continuous training, education and support

Enhancement of the communication between rural communities

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Project Focus

A multidisciplinary team has been established satellite communications’ providers / operators software experts telecommunications companies experts in distance and life long learning methods large users’ communities in Europe,Canada and S. Africa

The Rural Wings project is a SATCOM project that focuses on tele-education applications.

The project performs an extended validation of the DVB-RCS technology in order to demonstrate its suitability for bridging the digital divide.

• A global SATCOM wide band network based on upgraded DVB-RCS technology will be developed to serve the Needs for education and training of widely distributed user communities.

• Tele-education is a key element by providing suitable applications that make the most of features of broadband (such as speed, always-on, interactivity and personalisation)

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Project InnovationRural Wings will develop an advanced learning environment through satellite DVB-RCS access technologies to provide major innovation in:

To promote a user-centred methodological approach To support the creation of a new culture in rural communities promoting

digital literacy and reducing resistance to the use of new technologies To form a Creative community involvement:

to create conditions for the development of people, new ideas, new civic participation and new tools and applications to move the community into positive participation in a more equitable digital future

to perform Design-based research: refinement of the underlying interest-driven learning framework

drive the development of both intervention and theory

practitioners and researchers work together to produce meaningful change in contexts of practice

goals and design constraints are drawn from both the local context and research

Through the creative use of the new technologies to empower people through this knowledge and to develop technologies that reflect local needs

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Project Participants

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Project Competencies

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Partnership structure

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STEERING COMMITTEEProject Coordinator(Project Manager)

Dissemination – Commercial Board

Project’s Office

Quality Manager

Technology Manager

Scientific Board

Application Manager

Technology Representatives

Application Representatives

Leaders of WP2, WP7

Leaders of WP8

Leaders of WP3, WP4,

WP5

Commercial Manager

Leaders of WP9, WP10

Leader of WP1

Leaders of WP6

Implementation Managers

Project Organization Structure

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An in-depth knowledge and modular development of the DVB-RCS technology

how it needs to be configured to provide the standard of service that customers demand, expect and are willing to pay for.

Greater awareness of the possibilities satellite systems provide amongst

the general public

promotion of the DVB-RCS technology and awareness of its suitability for bridging the digital divide

An exciting and compelling range of educational tools

that make the full use of broadband characteristics (speed, interactivity, personalization, always-on etc)

representing a significant value added service that could help drive the uptake of satellite broadband.

RURAL WINGS Main Results

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a broadband satellite service offering different levels of service for different

prices training packages and applications

The Rural Wings customers will be a mixture of individuals and organizations:

Home users and small business

need a variety of training tools, for personal or professional reasons, for example a farmer that starts a small business

Training companies

that need to ensure that their traditional courses are not left behind by the move to distance learning and need to offer online equivalents

Governments (and local authorities)

that wish to promote the use of the technology and needs to demonstrate the capabilities of the system

ASP providers

who would simply like to reach more customers than is currently possible

Broadband service providers

who wish to enhance their portfolio of value added services.

RURAL WINGS Main Product and target market

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The project’s pathway advances through a process of continuous interaction between the User Need (horizontal axis) and the Technology Push (vertical axis)

Three groups of advanced learning scenarios for different contexts (Learning at School, at Work and at Home) are developed

Enables the provision of value-added services to people in rural areas

RURAL WINGS evolution

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The work is concentrated towards the “User Demand” Axis The “Technology Push” will start delivering content to remote users via satellite. 4 WP’s main tasks will be finalized The pilot sites will be equipped with infrastructure and the Test Run will start

RURAL WINGS evolution up to 18th month

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Project Outcomes

• In the firstIn the first 18 months 18 months

Feasibility report (WP.2)Feasibility report (WP.2)

User Needs analysis (WP.3)User Needs analysis (WP.3)

User profiles and tasks (WP.3)User profiles and tasks (WP.3)

RW scenarios (WP.4)RW scenarios (WP.4)

RW learning environment (WP.5)RW learning environment (WP.5)

End to end system adaptation (WP.5)End to end system adaptation (WP.5)

Learning Hubs (WP.6)Learning Hubs (WP.6)

Supportive material (WP.6)Supportive material (WP.6)

Validation methodology (WP.7)Validation methodology (WP.7)

Usability plan (WP.8)Usability plan (WP.8)

Market definition and Business Case Report (WP.9) Market definition and Business Case Report (WP.9)

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VERDI

BARRD

SCHOOLSAT

MUSE

RIA

ZEUS

TWISTER

RURAL WINGS

RCST

USER DEMAND

TECHNOLOGY PUSHThe project will push the current boundaries further by providing a platform that integrates contextual information into learning setting.

The geographical breadth of the project will help bring together experiences from different countries and cultures, which is not possible with the other projects

RURAL WINGS positioning

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• South Africa – By Hellas Sat using its S1 steerable beam

• Northen Sweden and S. America – by EutelSat using the W3 and the Atlantic Bird

2 satellites

• Alternatives: – Hispasat 1A/1B, 1C or 1D (S. America)– Sirius 2 or 3– Thor II or III (Nordic region)

Satellite Support System

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Satellite Cover Regions

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Satellite network

Remote area LANSatellite terminal

@

INTERNET backbone

PLATFORMS

CONTENT

LEARNING HUB

WIRED AND/OR

WIRELESS LAN

END USERS terminals

DVB-RCS hub

TWO WAY EXCHANGE OF DATA-FDW LINK DVB/MPEG2 DATAFORMAT (45Mb/s)-RTN LINK USING MULTI-FREQ.TDMA (2Mb/s)

System Architecture

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The Learning Hub will provide a ‘lab’ where innovative ideas can be tried out establishment of a wireless (Wi-Fi) communications infrastructure, the new technology facilitates flexible interpersonal communication patterns project evolves to “learning networks and communities”

System Architecture Learning Hub and the Learning Community

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System Architecture Typical hybrid satellite-WiFi infrastructureTypical hybrid satellite-WiFi infrastructure

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four functional manager blocks are utilized at the gateway configuration:

In order to achieve upgraded DVB-RCS ability to accommodate multiple service providers on a single gateway platform

Gateway managerSubscriber management systemConnection managerSIT command system

Number of terminals and hubs to be deployedNumber of terminals and hubs to be deployed

1 satellite DVB-RCS hub will be deployed for HELLASSAT Existing EUTELSAT DVB-RCS hubs will be used Existing EMS DVB-RCS hub will be used 15x10 Satellite Terminals/Learning hubs will be deployed

System Architecture DVB-RCS Platform Network Management System

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A combination of open source, proprietary and co-developed components / customizations of existing open source and proprietary tools

A number of education-oriented simulations using a number of basic proprietary components customized to the user needs

The final solutions will be developed in collaboration with the pilot users and then distributed as opensource

The distributed learning platforms supporting collaborative and peer-to-peer learning are based on opensource kernel components

their customization and specific services developed on top of them

to commercial products

distributed through traditional commercial channels or to opensource components

Objectives of Pilot Trials: e-Learning Tools

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• The selection criteria are:

• variety of target users covering all the potential customers categories

• representativeness, in terms of presence of a large number of similartarget communities in Europe

• knowledge of the context and access to key decision makers, in order toguarantee a facilitated access for the analysis of specific needs and arapid involvement in the pilot projects.

Implementation

Country # of pilot sites

Greece 30

Spain 10

Sweden 10

France 5

Romania 10

Cyprus 5

Estonia 7

Finland 10

Poland 10

UK 10

Israel 6

Canada 10

Chile 10

Colombia 10

Argentina 10

Peru 10

Turkey 5

S. Africa 10

TOTAL 168

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• AAn extended validation of the DVB-RCS platform n extended validation of the DVB-RCS platform will be performed will be performed in in Europe and beyondEurope and beyond– extended use of the system in different settings and under different extended use of the system in different settings and under different

conditionsconditions

• It is important to keep pilot sites in all targeted countries as it will allow It is important to keep pilot sites in all targeted countries as it will allow the project team to perform ethnographical studiesthe project team to perform ethnographical studies – acceptance of the system in different culturesacceptance of the system in different cultures– to create demonstrators (Learning Hubs) and core nodes of the Rural to create demonstrators (Learning Hubs) and core nodes of the Rural

Wings in more countriesWings in more countries

• System performances and Quality of Services (QoS) System performances and Quality of Services (QoS) – Default system performances:Default system performances: 2Mbps for downl2Mbps for downliink/ 512kbps for uplinknk/ 512kbps for uplink

– QoS will manage in and out satellite traffic. QoS will manage in and out satellite traffic. • This will be implemented using specific equipments. As the DVB-RCS network is This will be implemented using specific equipments. As the DVB-RCS network is

concerned, QoS provisions are included in the terminal and the gatewayconcerned, QoS provisions are included in the terminal and the gateway

Implementation (2)

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The target is to lay the groundwork with a technical infrastructure supported by continuing

efforts to introduce new ideas support the development of technological fluency, methodologies to help

harness creativity support to develop a pathway for the effective use of satellite applications for

distance learning in rural areas

The project will follow the targets of the European Space Policy (Green andWhite Paper 2003) by:

Contributing to the emerging knowledge society and the ompetitiveness of European industry

Supporting sustainable development Develop solutions responding to the various needs of European citizens Provision of a wider institutional market (EU25 and Beyond)

Final remarks

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Prof. Nikolaos K. Uzunoglunuzu@cc.ece.ntua.gr

Microwaves and Fiber Optics LabInstitute of Communications and Computer Systems

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