www.abard.org

2005-2006 Power Lake AB was assigned on a Coordinating Action on Broadband in Rural Areas (European Commission, DG INFSO). A-BARD was addressing research in rural broadband provision and use, as part of the Scientific Support to Policies in the EU Sixth Framework Programme. A-BARD’s objective was to identify emerging results and experiences in order to focus and leverage emerging results from on-going RTD, mobile applications and services deployment and ICT take-up. Specifically the work aimed to:  

1. Focus and enhance awareness and understanding of the benefits of mobile applications and services deployment in rural areas.  

2.  Facilitate the exchange of experience and best practice to rural stakeholders and interests.  

3.  Identify the institutional and policy frameworks that are delaying roll-out. 

4.  Identify areas where further RTD is needed to provide universal solutions.

The assignment A-BARD’s (www.abard.org) mission was (1) to address the following questions:

• What applications and services exist, what is emerging, how, when and who should implement the solutions? 

•  When will they be accessible and affordable in rural areas?

• What socio-economic aspects need to be considered to ensure that meaningful applications and services development and implementation takes place in rural areas?  

and (2) to infuse into policy documents the following:

• Usability and acceptability issues are critical to the widespread deployment and use of ICT in rural areas.  Without understanding this the possible impact of information technology as an external driver of change is significantly reduced.

Power Lake AB´s role in A-BARD was to be work package leader for Case Studies/Fieldwork and workshops.  Totally seven case studies was produced in partner countries Sweden (2), Ireland, the Czech Republic, Poland, Spain and the UK. Six workshops was arranged in partner countries and in Brussels.