The European Commission (EC) has published a “dedicated handbook” for rural policy makers and broadband project managers who plan to roll-out new ISP networks into remote areas, which uses examples from the UK (e.g. B4RN etc.) and other EU countries to show how the job can be done both “effectively and efficiently.”
The broadband handbook (PDF) itself is over 22MB (MegaBytes) in size and 46 pages long. The overview it provides is a fairly general one, although it should offer a useful starting off point for anybody who might be considering their own network. In fact it’s definitely one of the more readable examples of such a guide.
The first part of the handbook makes the case for rural and remote area broadband investment and outlines the technological solutions, the European broadband targets and progress, and sources of EU funding and support for broadband (it should be mentioned that funding for related projects has also come from communities, the private sector and other public funding sources etc.).
Finally, the second part presents examples of good practices that rural and remote communities have used to solve the issue of broadband connectivity. It outlines the solutions implemented, taking into account social, territorial and economic aspects. It also addresses lessons learned from unsuccessful cases and defines a simple framework covering the key issues.