Applications of two-way satellite broadband for lifelong learning P. Koulouris, S. Sotiriou Ellinogermaniki Agogi Dimitriou Panagea Street 15351 Pallini, Greece M. Gargalakos, N. K. Uzunoglu Institute of Communication and Computer Systems of National Technical University of Athens Iroon Polytechniou 9 15780 Athens, Greece Abstract- The Rural Wings project tested the use of DVB- RCS-based satellite broadband integrated with local wireless networks, for the delivery of innovative e-learning services to remote rural communities in Europe. A number of scenarios of use were developed and implemented in more than 100 pilot sites in 12 countries across Europe and beyond, corresponding to a wide range of learning approaches and diverse learning circumstances in the various rural settings. In the light of the experiences and data gathered during the trials in the pilot sites, several aspects of the appropriateness and impact of the proposed intervention were evaluated. This paper focuses on and summarises some of the most interesting findings relating to the degree to which the deployed satellite broadband technology managed to deliver the planned e-learning activities. I. THE RURAL WINGS PROJECT The Rural Wings project (2006-2009) was an ambitious large-scale Integrated Project (IP) supported by the Directorate-General for Research of the European Commission, under the Thematic Priority of ‘Aeronautics and Space’ of the 6th Framework Programme. It aimed at testing the use of DVB-RCS-based satellite broadband for the delivery of innovative e-learning services to remote rural communities in Europe [1]. The Rural Wings project built on the previous experience of some of its core consortium members in rural teacher training and support at a distance [2], to convert the small rural school into a ‘learning hub’ addressing all rural citizens’ needs for lifelong learning. The ‘learning hub’ gave people the space and tools to build lively learning communities around it. The project used DVB-RCS technology, which allowed for two-way communication between the end-user and the satellite, thus making broadband available really everywhere. Satellite broadband provision was integrated with local wireless networks, in order to provide comprehensive services to the whole of the remote rural population. In addition, the project offered a set of ICT applications to the rural communities, which enabled learning activities in the school, at work, as well as at home. A number of scenarios of use were developed and implemented in more than 100 pilot sites in 12 countries across Europe and beyond, corresponding to a wide range of learning approaches and diverse learning circumstances in the various rural settings [3]. II. SOME INTERESTING FINDINGS ABOUT THE CAPACITY FOR LEARNING APPLICATIONS In the light of the experiences and data gathered during the trials in the pilot sites, several aspects of the appropriateness and impact of the proposed intervention were evaluated. Overall, the Rural Wings project managed to demonstrate the role satellite telecommunications can play in securing broadband for geographically disadvantaged populations, so that citizens can benefit from contemporary opportunities for ICT-enabled lifelong learning. This presentation focuses on and summarises some of the most interesting findings relating to the degree to which the deployed satellite broadband technology managed to deliver the planned e-learning activities. The envisaged bandwidth for the pilot sites was 1Mbps uplink and 512 kbps downlink, and the service was provided by Eutelsat, HellasSat, or Avanti Communications, depending on the country. This nominal capacity was in everyday service shared within clusters of pilot sites under the same provider, with the number of sites sharing varying from 15 to 60. However, trials were also carried out with full bandwidth (1Mbps / 512 kbps) dedicated to individual pilot sites so as to establish the requirements posed by more demanding applications. Most of the Rural Wings e-learning applications involved simple state-of-the art web-based services, for which the satellite connection secured acceptable quality user experiences ranging from simple web browsing to filling in online forms, downloading and uploading files, and viewing video on demand.