The project focuses on narrowing the gap in access to broadband services in rural areas. The project intends to achieve this by undertaking a series of activities, which will result in a set of recommendations identifying broadband strategies for an increased implementation and use at a transnational, regional and local level.

Insufficient access to high speed Internet and lack of bandwidth at reasonable prices are hindering the adaptation especially of rural regions to the information society and economy. In a longer perspective, jobs in rural areas are in danger and unavoidable displacement of industries would lead to desertification. The project will be oriented on survey, exchange of experience and expertise on broadband implementation. The strategic approach of this project will help to sensitise decision makers and enterprises in the participating regions by including them into discussions and developments. The report describing the present state and the steps needed to implement and use broadband internet services will be a basis to improve the regional qualities and to foster exchange of experiences and good practices.

Expected Outcomes

The project will result in: A well funded practice-oriented analysis and description of the present situation (an analysis on national broadband policies and usage in rural areas in the North Sea region countries) A description of best practices available Recommendations for development of cheap and fast local broadband access as a tool of regional development in rural areas in the North Sea region A forum for all rural areas in the North Sea region interested to invest in broadband infrastructures including development and implementation of new web-based services in all regions The state of existing practice and new experiences gathered by jointly implemented local case studies. These will be documented and made available to be spread to other rural areas. For the participating regions they will be concretized in local and regional broadband strategies, operating models, business plans and investment planning Dissemination of the project results as a report including the above mentioned results

Activities

The project consists of five main phases: Implementation. Technical implementation of the Internet-platform for documentation and communication. Implementation of financial management. Implementation of think-tank and discussion forum for the North Sea region Stocktaking: Analysis and description of the present state and strategies in the different regions Comparative study: Formulation of a comparative study containing a collection of best practices, local case studies, impacts of broadband usage, advantages of the better served areas compared with the less well served regions, comparison of strategies developed, description of new actions under the new transnational programmes Recommendations: Formulation of recommendations for effective broadband implementation on North Sea region level. Description of the expected effects and impacts on spatial level for the North Sea region. Dissemination of the results.

Reported Outcomes

All partners participated in the "Broadband Days" in Osterholz 21-23 May 2006. The kick-off meeting of the project took place one day after this event. During transnational meetings in Groningen Steering Committe and Think Tank (to assist for recommendations concerning broadband policies and bradbnad strategies on the rural level) were set up. Norfolk County Council is leading a project to develop a Digital Content Marketplace (DCM) for the East of England. This will provide a broadband streaming content service where the public, private sectors, community groups and individuals will be able to buy and sell rich digital content. Leiedal is investigating how a public broadband infranstructure can be implemented on new industrial sites to attract new technology companies to the region. County of Osterholz set-up website "broadband-now" in co-operation with Chamber of Commerce and business development agency of Stade. "EU Vest" participated in a Broadband Study in order to benchmark the various regions in relation to broadbank access and content. The study that was published online provides baseline knowledge from the participating partner countries. Intercommunale Leiedal made an inventory of broadband needs for (sem-) public sector, identified best practice under the field of interactive TV (TVLink).