The Interreg IV-B project ‘Vital Rural Area’ is divided into three Work Packages. The package # 3 (‘Services’) is being executed in five regions around the North Sea:
- North East Fryslân, NL (NOFA, Vital Rural Area lead partner region);
- Province of Fryslân, Leeuwarden, NL (work package 3 chair);
- Vejen Kommune, Vejen, Denmark;
- Rogaland Fylkeskommune, Stavanger, Norway;
- Finnøy Kommune, Judaberg, Norway;
- Intercommunale Leiedal, Kortrijk, Belgium.
As a result of the desk research phase within the work package the participating regions have commented on their own broadband infrastructure and services. In this document, the Department of Economic Affairs of the Province of Fryslân and Kabel Noord have produced an overview and assessment of the broadband situation in the six North Sea regions within the work package.
2. What is broadband?
2.1 Data transfer rate
In our case, the term ‘Broadband’ refers to high data rate internet access. The parameters of ‘broadband’ have been developing very fast. A data transfer rate considered as ‘high’ in the year 2000 now seems rather slow. Also, the definition may vary, depending on the infrastructure. Glass fibre tends to be faster than copper, copper faster than wireless, wireless faster than cellular mobile. Depending on the kind of technology that is implemented within a certain network, relative speeds may vary.
2.2 Fixed price access
Generally, we are assuming that end users are able to access the broadband services at a fixed price per month.
2.3 Open network model
The best model for quick future development lies in the ‘open network’ model. The infrastructure should allow free access to all service providers. According to EU policy, open competition is expected to enhance innovation and competitiveness.
2.4 Scope of this document
In this overview, we focus our main attention upon the varieties already developed in the partner regions concerned.
3. Broadband technologies
3.1 Optical fibre broadband
Optical fibre (a glass or plastic fibre that carries light along its length) is widely used in fibre-optic communications, which permits transmission over longer distances and at extremely high bandwidths (data rates). It is generally considered as the next generation technology. Symmetrical transfer rates go up to 1 to 10 Gbps.
Investments are relatively high, compared to more traditional, copper based infrastructures. For incumbent operators the business case is sometimes difficult, because the glass fibre network competes with the existing copper based network. Developments in DOCSIS based technology promise serious competition for fibre optics.
Nevertheless, most parties expect that fibre optic networks will have developed into the dominant technology in the period between 2015 and 2025.
3.2 Cable broadband
Coaxial cable broadband provides bi-directional data communication via radio frequency channels on a cable television (CATV) infrastructure. Cable broadband data transfer takes advantage of the high bandwidth of a cable television network. They are commonly deployed in Australia, Europe, and North and South America.
In the latest, DOCSIS-based technologies, download data rates have been boosted to up to 150 mbps. This way, cable broadband catches up again with glass fibre based broadband speeds. This advantage might well last for the coming four or five years. Obvious drawbacks now seem to be the energy consumption needed to maintain the network infrastructure and asymmetric upload and download bandwidth. In the more distant future, glass fibre still promises to be the most durable solution and to have the highest data transfer capacity growth potential.
3.3 DSL broadband
The DSL family provides internet access over the lines of the local telephone network. Usually, the upload and download speed are asymmetrical. The maximum potential data rates are considerably lower than those a cable based infrastructure can offer. Because of the world wide distribution of telephone infrastructures DSL is very widely available. The capacity potential of DSL in the near future is less than that of cable networks, therefore DSL-providers tend to be more urgently driven to next generation technologies.
3.4 Wireless broadband
First of all, so-called wifi hotspots may form a proprietary solution to provide mobile internet access to tourists and business travellers. It gives content providers a chance to offer time and location based services and information to selected groups.
Wireless infrastructures allow speeds of up to about 50 mbps. This might be realistic in a 1:1 connection, in reality the bandwidth has to be shared with other users. Also, the data rate speed may be adversely influenced by environmental conditions (objects in the line of sight, weather, distance).
Generally, wireless service providers have to limit the speed of internet access per end user (e.g. to about 256 kbps per user), mostly symmetrical in upload and download.
Wireless Internet access from fixed locations would not be our first choice. For consumers and small businesses, there are too many limits on the use of high data rate applications, like P2P-networking, VPN-software or (interactive) video and television services.
Sometimes, large distances or difficult geographical conditions have to be bridged for a data connection, e.g. fjords, seas, rivers, mountain ranges. In those cases, beamed wireless connections might be a good solution, as these could be specifically implemented as 1:1 connections and individual end user IP-streams can be efficiently routed beforehand. The cost of such a beamed wireless connection is only a fraction of the cost of a fixed line (although the potential data capacity of a line connection might be exponentially higher).
3.5 Satellite Broadband
The greatest asset of broadband via satellite is the availability world wide. Also, during the last years subscription costs have been diminishing. On the other hand, access policies, high latency and sensibility to weather conditions offer considerable drawbacks.
In the partner regions, this kind of broadband service is not widely used. Because of it’s drawbacks, we consider satellite broadband to be only useable in isolated, thinly populated areas that are very difficult to connect in any other way.
3.6 Cellular broadband
As cellular networks move to third generation networks they can support fast data, using technologies such as HSDPA and UMTS. These technologies provide broadband access, e.g. with a cell phone, PC-cards, or USB cellular modems and cellular broadband routers.
The main barrier to the take up of mobile broadband is the limited coverage of most mobile phone networks. In many areas customers will not be able to achieve the speeds advertised. In addition, there are also issues with connectivity, network capacity and application quality .
Therefore, we think that cellular broadband will be mainly used by travellers, for mobile data access.
4. Broadband in North Sea Regions
4.1 Intercommunale Leiedal, Kortrijk, Belgium
According to the broadband paragraph in the Leiedal desk research, there is a 100% area coverage by copper based networks, ADSL and Cable. The data rates are relatively slow, with average speeds of ca. 4 mbps download and 512 kbps upload. The author of the Leiedal desk research views the ‘closed’ nature of these networks as a big drawback . Competition and innovation are inhibited, because the infrastructure providers permit the delivery of services only to themselves. The author of this text is inclined to agree with this opinion.
There are other broadband varieties available in Leiedal.
-Mobile (cellular) internet is a growing commodity. Limited data rates, transfer quantity limits, low bandwidth and varying area coverage pose problems, but for mobile use this technology looks like an attractive proposition (also see remarks in paragraph 3.6).
- Fibre: a number of fibre initiatives is evident. These are providing the beginning of a fibre backbone for further future development of the optic infrastructure.
There are several small public owned optic rings. One of those provides a social service called ‘Telecare’.
Also, there are several urban based Fibre to the Home projects. These pilots enable service providers to experiment with interactivity and user generated content.
The university fibre network BELNET also provides high rate data access for public authorities.
In combination with the fibre based backbones of the national internet providers these local networks are part of a developing public open fibre network.
The regional authorities have one great ambition: a public, open wireless network for non-commercial services in home care, security, education and culture.
4.2 Rogaland Fylkeskommune, Stavanger, Norway
The broadband paragraph in the Rogaland desk research mentions a number of infrastructures.
There are two ADSL service providers in the Rogaland region. The Telenor network is open to other service providers. The asymmetrical data rates enable up to 16 mbps download and 800 kbps upload.
The Lyse/Altibox firm, basically an energy company, runs a fibre network with internet, telephone and television services. The network is not open to other ISPs. Subsea tunnels have been prepared for fibre cabling, but local interest has been low so far. Undoubtedly, the availability of – perhaps cheaper – services from ADSL impedes wider deployment. Maybe opening of the network to other providers would be an encouragement to lower subscription rates and raise data transfer speeds, which are now limited to ca. 50 mbps symmetrical.
Nextnet provides wireless internet access to schools and companies. This particular service is considered to be expensive. The other wireless option is the local government sponsored ‘Direct Connect AS’. Bandwidth reaches rates of up to about 2000/350 kbps, which is not bad, but of course the limitations mentioned in the paragraph on Wireless broadband still apply. The network is not yet operational, the date of completion will be about the beginning of 2010.
4.3 Finnøy Kommune, Judaberg, Norway
For data transfer, the Finnøy Kommune is only accessible through wireless networking.
The Rogaland government is trying to develop social services through the Direct Connect AS wireless infrastructure.
4.4 Vejen Kommune, Denmark
A number of infrastructures is available in Vejen. In large areas of the municipality four different broadband technologies are available, in some there are three, and in a small area only two.
Coaxial cable networks are available for most inhabitants in four cities and a number of towns. IP-services are not supported everywhere. The cable networks are customer owned.
Considered as the biggest asset of the Vejen Kommune is the fibre network, which is established by subscriber-owned regional energy companies. The networks combine all the characteristics that make fibre optics interesting: open access, availability to a variety of services, high symmetrical data rates and high capacity bandwidth. The fibre network is now available for 40% to 100% of the households and companies.
4.5 Noordoost-Friesland, the Netherlands (NOFA)
Several broadband infrastructures are available in North East Fryslân.
ADSL: During the last century, national telecom company KPN has built an extensive telephone network. This has been upgraded to a DSL-network in the last ten of twelve years. Speeds have gone up to ca. 10 and 1 mbps download and upload. Market share in this region is believed to be about 25%. The ADSL-network is open to a number of ISPs.
Coaxial cable: about 50% of all households in the municipalities of Dongeradeel, Dantumadeel and Kollumerland c.a. are provided with high data rate access by the public owned cable company Kabel Noord. In the municipality of Achtkarspelen cable access is provided by the UPC company. Both cable networks are in the process of being upgraded to EURODOCSIS 3, with speeds of up to max. 60 mbps download and 4 mbps upload.
The UPC network is not open to other ISPs. The Kabel Noord coaxial network on the other hand has been open for years: it has been the first Dutch cable infrastructure to offer customers a choice of three ISPs.
Optic fibre: KPN as well as the cable companies have invested in optic fibre infrastructures, partly to provide for their own backbones, but also as a commercial product for SMEs and non-profit organisations (schools, universities, local government, health and care institutions). The KPN fibre network is not considered to be an open infrastructure, but Kabel Noord is the first Northern Netherlands cable operator that has established an open Fibre to the Home facility, in the Dokkum neighbourhood Trije Terpen.
The co-operative society 'Fryslân Ring' is very active – and successful - in the bundling of fibre demand under regional SMEs and organisations. The society co-operates with local and provincial government, and with the network operators KPN, UPC, Ziggo and Kabel Noord.
Wireless: In the NOFA region there are several wireless ‘hotspots’. Most of these are situated in hotels, bungalow parks, camping’s. The hotspots have been financed by the locations themselves or by national wifi hotspot providers, e.g. KPN, or T-Mobile.
Kabel Noord is the other principal wireless provider in the region. It maintains a series of wifi hotspots in yacht harbours, bungalow parks and in the city centre of Dokkum. Dokkum is reputed to be the first Northern Netherlands ‘wireless city’.
5. Conclusions
5.1 General conclusions
The paragraphs above prove that public ownership of broadband network actively encourages innovations and socially relevant applications. This effect is evident in all the regions participating in this work package. Some examples follow below.
An open access structure is necessary for fibre based networks, to improve competition, lower subscription rates and encourage innovation.
Significant differences can be attributed to the six types of broadband infrastructures which we have mentioned in paragraph 2. In the next paragraphs, some of these differences are discussed.
5.1.1 copper based networks
DSL and coaxial cable are very widely available and at this moment provide adequate high rate data transfer. The cable technology has some advantage over DSL in its upgrading potential. The cable operators are not standing first in line to upgrade their ‘last half mile’ to fibre optics. They are not thrilled by the prospect to have to compete with their own copper-networks. On the other hand, DSL providers know very well that they have been stretching their telephone infrastructure to the limits already; therefore, they recently began to invest in fibre technology structurally, mostly ahead of their cable based competitors.
Fibre optics are almost unanimously considered to be the best solution for the future. Roll-out works best in previously un-provided areas. Governmental support and bundling of demand are important to speed up the process.
5.1.2 Wireless and satellite networks
Wireless networks would best be suited to additional applications in tourism and mobility, maybe even as an alternative to voice calling in cellular networks. Of course, there will always be areas where it is difficult to build fixed infrastructures. Satellite internet access would be complementary, for applications where quickness to realize a connection is important or where even beamed wireless connections are difficult to construct.
5.1.3 Cellular mobile networks
Cellular infrastructure could be available ‘anytime, anywhere;, but looks to be permanently limited in its bandwidth and coverage.
5.2 Some regional broadband remarks
5.2.1 Kortrijk
In the Kortrijk region, one of the small public owned optic rings provides a social service called ‘Telecare’. Several urban based Fibre to the Home pilots enable service providers to experiment with interactivity and user generated content. The regional ambition for a public, open wireless network should lead to increasing non-commercial services in home care, security, education and culture.
In our opinion, this is a great and promising ambition, well suited to the Vital Rural Area goals. Wireless broadband could well be a worthy carrier for these services. Nevertheless – and of course this might be a biased opinion - we think that in many instances, a fixed network would be more suited, because of bandwidth and coverage. The wireless variety would be best suited to applications in tourism and mobility, maybe even as an alternative to voice calling in cellular networks.
5.2.2 Rogaland
In Rogaland, the wireless local government sponsored ‘Direct Connect AS’ will be active in the near future and it will provide non-revenue driven services and application
Our recommendation would be to put extra governmental emphasis on the development and deployment of the regional fibre network owned by the energy company, on condition that the infrastructure will be open to other ISPs. The services developed for the wireless network could well be provided on the fibre network as well. A synergy that might serve both access varieties.
5.2.3 Finnøy
The Finnøy Kommune is only accessible through wireless infrastructure.
The development of social services through the wireless network is positive. It’s a pity that the present wireless technologies limit data rates, but these will have to do, presently. In the near future, it may be advisable to invest in an optic fibre backbone to the island.
5.2.4 Vejen
The coaxial cable networks in Vejen Kommune are customer owned, which allows development of services, that are not primarily revenue-driven.
The fibre network is public owned and offers an increasing number of commercial and non-commercial services. As a solution to rural problems, the infrastructure has been acting as a digital multiplier.
5.2.5 NOFA
In the NOFA region, there are several competing infrastructures.
Cable: the cable networks are ‘closed’ in Achtkarspelen (the UPC part of NOFA); customers in the rest of the municipalities have a choice of three ISPs, on the coaxial network of Kabel Noord. This company has been executing a lot of non-revenue driven projects during the last decennium.
Fibre: Kabel Noord views the recent coaxial cable upgrades with EURODOCSIS 3 as a positive enhancement, but expects that eventually, fibre optics will end up as the only infrastructure that is really future proof.
The fibre demand-bundling activities of Kabel Noord and the co-operative Fryslân Ring form a powerful engine behind SME innovation.
As a publicly owned cable operator, Kabel Noord tries to show its social relevance by investments in Fibre to the Home, to the Business and to Organisations .
Wireless: In the Kabel Noord project ‘Dokkum Online – 3D’ new business models are being developed, as well as innovative methods to approach and serve tourists. Also, a new project is underway, to convert the island Ameland into the first Dutch ‘wireless island’.
The Kabel Noord coaxial, wireless and fibre infrastructures provide the basis for the development of a number of socially oriented services, in E-care & E-health, E-learning, E-government, E-tourism and E-entrepeneurship.
Gijs van Hesteren, Martijn Ledegang
Dokkum - Leeuwarden, August 28th, 2009
A link to the original document with a complete set of notes will be placed here at short notice.
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