Project Contact Info:
Project Coordinator:
Prof. Nikolaos K. Uzunoglu
Institute of Communications & Computer Systems
9, Iroon Polytechniou Str.
15773 Zografou, Athens, Greece
Tel: ++30 210 772 3556
Fax: ++30 210 772 3557
e-mail: nuzu@cc.ece.ntua.gr
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The RURAL WINGS vision
Broadband Satellite Telecommunications:
Building of Information Society without discriminations
Satellite Technology Communications are being promoted as key instruments to achieve the development of Information Society by providing broadband services to those even being deprived to have access to modern communication infrastructure because of geographical isolation, economic status and other reasons. Many recent developments in the relevant field give the opportunity to offer broadband services to rural areas and remote regions because of the unique capability of satellite communication to make available high quality wireless connectivity to groups of people outside of densely populated regions. The RURAL WINGS project exploits the benefits of the advances in broadband networking technologies and contributes mostly to minimize the “digital gap” of the rural areas with the wider Information Society.
The main objective of the RURAL WINGS project is to offer e-learning services to a variety of users being @school, @work or @home, by installing DVB/RCS satellite terminals equipment into 126 pilot sites all over Europe. These pilot sites refer mainly to isolated and remote villages in rural areas and geographical locations such as mountainous sectors or islands where fast internet access (i.e. ADSL) has never been possible before. The 126 pilot sites of the RURAL WINGS will be implemented within the project’s 4 years full duration in 13 European Countries (Greece, Spain, Sweden, France, Romania, Cyprus, Estonia, Poland, UK, Israel, Armenia, Georgia, and Switzerland) while pilot sites in South Africa and in Canada will be linked to the project. 34 of these pilot sites will be operational until June 2007 and are being currently equipped. At least 25 WiFi networks will also be implemented towards the end of the project in order to provide access to all possible remote users in the above pilot sites.
It is my strong belief that RURAL WINGS not only will provide e-learning services to isolated areas through satellite communications but will also change the attitude of people towards modern broadband services covering their needs and offering new perspectives for their life in all its aspects. The wings of knowledge are spreading and no user will be left out.
The RURAL WINGS Coordinator
Prof. Nikolaos K. Uzunoglu
Europe needs an extended space policy, driven by demand,
able to exploit the special
benefits that space technologies can deliver
in support of the Union ’s policies
and objectives: faster economic
growth, job creation and industrial competitiveness,
enlargement and cohesion, sustainable development to bridge the digital divide.
White Paper “Space: A new European frontier for an expanding Union ”
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