Municipal Broadband Networks and their role in upgrading education broadband services Christos Bouras Research Academic Computer Technology Institute Broadband

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

2Broadband Education Services,11-12 June 2009, Crete, Greece

Outline

• e-Learning– Definition– Types– Benefits– Problems

• Broadband (the solution)– Broadband in Greece– Broadband strategy in Greece– Municipal broadband networks - Call 93


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


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


e-Learning Content

• Rich media– Webcasts– Videos– Simulations– 3D content– Images (high quality)– Audio (high quality)

• Bandwidth is one of the most critical factors


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


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


Problem definition

• Some places still at dial-up speeds

• Still expensive

• Too slow for many applications


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


Why Broadband…

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

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

…Broadband access networks, from a technological aspect, can meet all these modern requirements.


Broadband…


Broadband in Greece


Broadband strategy in Greece


Calls 93, 145 and 195

Finances for the implementation of Metropolitan Optical Fibre Networks

These networks, interlink the buildings of the state, local

authorities, and public agencies in their respective municipality (Governance, Education, Health, Culture)

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.


Targets of Call 93


The 75 ΜΑΝs of Calls 93 & 145


Region of Western Greece

8 MANs in the Region of Western Greece

1. Municipality of Agrinio

2. Municipality of Aigio

3. Municipality of Amaliada

4. Municipality of Mesologgi

5. Municipality of Nafpaktos

6. Municipality of Oiniades

7. Municipality of Patras

8. Municipality of Pyrgos

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)



Municipality of Amaliada

- Budget : € 477.800,00

- Trenches’ Length : 6965 m (Χ1: 5400 m - Χ3: 1565 m)



Municipality of Mesologgi

- Budget : € 905.508,49


(Χ1: 6794 m - Χ3: 6254 m)



Municipality of Nafpaktos

- Budget : € 390.269,90


(Χ1: 5218 m - Χ3: 1430 m)

- Nodes : Main : 1 Access : 5


Municipality of Oiniades

- Budget : € 310.304,40


(Χ1: 3.131 m - Χ3: 317 m)

- Nodes : Main : 1 Access : 3


The smallest MAN in GREECE

Municipality of Patras

- Budget : € 3.024.614,42

- Trenches’ Length : 54 Km (Χ1: 38208 m - Χ3: 16385

m)



The biggest MAN in GREECE

Municipality of Pyrgos

- Budget : € 706.382,38


(Χ1: 8176 m - Χ3: 1615 m)




An Example…

• MAN of Agrinio: 44 end users, 20 of which are schools


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


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


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



Questions ?


THANK YOU!

Christos Bouras([email protected])

Computer Engineering and Informatics Department,University of Patras, Greece

&Research Academic Computer Technology Institute, Patras, Greece

(http://ru6.cti.gr/)

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Municipal Broadband Networks and their role in upgrading education broadband services Christos Bouras Research Academic Computer Technology Institute Broadband