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Along with the growing importance of high-bandwidth broadband Internet access (see preface/page V), the problems and issues of a lack of access have become clear. While high-bandwidth access is common in population-dense areas, rural areas sometimes lack acceptable access levels. The lack of investments in high-capacity data networks (e.g., fiber) is the result of low population density, which does not provide for significant returns. Furthermore, existing copper networks cannot be upgraded to (V)DSL technologies, as a result of physical limitations due to attenuation with the increasing length of the local loop. In population-sparse areas, the distance between the cabinet and the customer renders this approach useless. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For many years, high-speed data connections were regarded as the luxury alternative to `normal΄, dial-up Internet access. In recent years, however, broadband has come to be seen as a major cause for economic growth and development. In most industrialized nations, email has become as important as the vintage analogue telephone used to be. Social communities, instant messaging and other tools are about to become standard elements of communication. Broadband networks have gained the same status as streets, public transport systems, and water and energy networks. And in October 2009, Charles Kao, whose work laid the foundations for today΄s high bandwidth long distance fiber optic networks was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for his work. Unsurprisingly, a massive increase in broadband penetration is key to the European Union΄s (EU) Lisbon Strategy. As a result, in November 2008, the European Commission earmarked 1 billion EUR in financial aid to increase the availability of rural broadband. Many member countries have developed ambitious programs to increase the availability of high-speed Internet access. `Digital France 2012΄ seeks to guarantee Internet access of at least 512 kBit/s for no more than 35 EUR per month. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Telecommunications are realizing humanity΄s archetypal dream of overcoming spatial distances. More than hundred years after the telephone was invented by Friedrich Reiss, media, telecommunications and IT are merging into one another. Broadband is now taking matters to the next level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is possible for municipalities/districts, towns and villages (hereafter: municipalities) to actively promote broadband infrastructure development. However, whether or not this is legal should first be determined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Broadband Internet access can be categorized into wireline (based on a physical cable made from a specific material) and wireless technologies (which use the air as transmission medium). Further subcategories may be identified. As this study focuses on the provision of high-speed Internet access to private households, the following will be excluded: Purely commercial uses, military uses or technologies that are still in development stages. Figure 6 provides an overview of these technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effectiveness of fiber infrastructure deployment is a significant measure in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Today, almost 85% of worldwide FTTH/B subscribers are located in Asia. Around the world, several local fiber broadband initiatives and projects were launched in the past few years. Fiberevolution.com lists more than 450 planned projects, and a project overview is provided in Appendix 10. The majority of these fiber broadband projects – either already deployed or in development – are located in large, populationdense cities or small municipalities and villages. As we focused on rural fiber deployment projects, a major analysis task was the identification and data collection of fiber roll-out projects in rural areas. How data collection and case selection was pursued is explained in Chapter 5. In order to make the analysis more transparent and to display major analysis outcomes, selected FTTH projects will be presented as detailed case studies. These cases will be analyzed according to the evaluation method presented in Chapter 5.3. Information from the cases will be aggregated and evaluated in the next chapter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The selected case studies already provide an astonishing overview of the success stories of rural FTTH broadband. In almost every case, the investment in rural FTTH might eventually not ex ante have fulfilled the return expectations of the private market participants. However, the high level of broadband penetration after FTTH became available proves the demand from the population in these areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public infrastructure delivery has included streets, water, sewerage, energy and telecommunications. In many countries (e.g., the US and in Europe), telecommunication has been a state monopoly for a very long time. Communication and postal services were controlled by government authority and often operated by the state. After the US (1982), the UK (1984) and Japan (1985), the liberalization process in Europe began to transform the telecommunications state monopoly into a competition-based market environment. The state-owned telecommunication operators were detached from the government and took on a life on their own in liberalized markets with the goal of free, market-based competition. Europe΄s state-controlled regulation and regulatory policies seek to establish a self-sustainable and competition-based market, and efficient resource allocation in order to maximize the consumer benefits to consumers. This is the case in general and within telecommunications. Economically, broadband can be considered from two perspectives: The perspective of public good (where a specific level of area-wide broadband access is guaranteed to each citizen by the state) and the competition-based perspective (of network effects and market externalities). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Strategies for Rural Broadband is the property of Springer Nature / Books and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Strategies for Rural Broadband is the property of Springer Nature / Books and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)