DOCSLIB.ORG

An Analysis of Community-Led Superfast Broadband Initiatives in the UK and the Potential for Resilience

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
An Analysis of Community-Led Superfast Broadband Initiatives in the UK and the Potential for Resilience An Analysis of Community-led Superfast Broadband Initiatives in the UK and the Potential for Resilience A thesis presented for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Aberdeen Fiona Helena Ashmore BA (Hons) (Queen’s University Canada) MSc (University of Aberdeen) 2015 DECLARATION I confirm that the work undertaken and recorded in this thesis is my own and that it has not been accepted in any previous application for a degree. All quoted material is clearly distinguished by quotation marks and sources of information are specifically acknowledged. Signed: Date: August 10, 2015 ii ABSTRACT Despite interest from policymakers and the telecommunications sector to deliver superfast broadband to the whole of the UK, rural areas remain underserved, decreasing their ability to benefit from broadband-enabled services. Public intervention, primarily structured as national subsidies, is active across the UK to respond to this rural market failure. Complementing such practices are local-level strategies framed as community-led broadband initiatives. Their inclusion within wider superfast broadband installation strategies has not yet been examined. This doctoral research examines two of these initiatives, their structure and impact on the community to develop an understanding of their potential as replicable rural broadband delivery mechanisms. I analyse both the process of installing superfast broadband technology from community-led perspective and the subsequent engagement with superfast broadband through a qualitative longitudinal approach. A conceptual framework of ‘social resilience’ is developed as a contemporary analytical tool for examining these individual and community processes. The findings reveal an inherent complexity to rural community-led broadband provision. Community-led broadband reflects a ‘localism’ development approach, and this process has strengthened local rural identity. Following the adoption of superfast broadband, rural users experienced a growth in digital knowledge and individual resilience. However, the initiatives themselves are often discussed as ‘separate from’, or incompatible with, the telecommunications industry, as well as sitting outside the scope of current government interventions. In doing so, barriers to external networking and extra-local partnerships are built, limiting the opportunities for community-led broadband networks to become a substantive part of rural broadband delivery across the UK. Throughout the thesis, an understanding of these various tensions, impacting the success, use and replicability of rural community-led broadband, is developed and community-led broadband is shown to be another example of uneven rural development. I conclude by making recommendations for future digital policy interventions in the UK. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS After spending many years on this project, there is a multitude of people I would like to thank. This thesis would not have been possible without their invaluable support. First and foremost, my supervisors Dr. Lorna Philip, Prof. John Farrington and Dr. Sarah Skerratt: thank you Lorna for providing detailed feedback on written drafts and helping shape the thesis; thank you John for providing me with constant ideas for this research from the beginning; finally, thank you Sarah for always providing a ‘rural’ home for my research. Thank you to the dot.rural Digital Economy Research Hub for affording me the chance to complete this PhD. I am grateful for your support. Thank you to my research family, including all the students and staff of both the University of Aberdeen and Scotland’s Rural College who provided a collaborative, supportive environment over the years. Thank you for providing many hours of advice and feedback. Especially to my colleagues of Room 917, this thesis would not have been possible without your constant support, conversation and many cups of tea. Last but certainly not least, thank you to the university support staff for helping me with the logistical aspects of being a research student and, of course, for always providing some friendly banter across the hall. Thank you to my community partners, B4RN and B4GAL. Without your involvement this PhD would not have been possible. I appreciate all the time taken to speak to me and aid interview recruitment. Special thanks to the Board members of both B4RN and B4GAL for sharing your knowledge about your community broadband processes. I hope to continue following the work you are doing for your respective communities. Thank you to Brett Anne Anderson for assistance in conducting and transcribing the B4RN pre-installation interviews. Finally this thesis would not have been possible without the love and support of my family and friends. To my Canadian family, Mom, Dad, and Erika, thank you for all your support and your encouragement to do this PhD. To my extended family in the UK, thank you for welcoming me into yours and supporting me through these years. To all the friends that I have made over the years, both at the University and outside of it, thank you for all the wonderful times we have had and for making these last few years such an enjoyable experience. This thesis is dedicated to my husband, David Ashmore. Thank you for all your support throughout these past few years. I couldn’t have done it without you. iv CONTENTS DECLARATION ............................................................................................................ II ABSTRACT................................................................................................................... III ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .......................................................................................... IV CONTENTS ................................................................................................................... V LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................ X LIST OF TABLES ......................................................................................................... XI LIST OF MAPS ............................................................................................................. XI LIST OF PHOTOS ....................................................................................................... XI ABBREVIATIONS...................................................................................................... XII 1 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................... 1 1.1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................ 1 1.2 RESEARCH AND POLICY CONTEXT ............................................................................................. 2 1.2.1 Social resilience theory ............................................................................................................... 3 1.2.2 Superfast broadband policies and delivery methods ...................................................................... 4 1.2.3 Superfast broadband use in rural communities ........................................................................... 5 1.3 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ................................................................................................................ 6 1.4 THESIS CONTRIBUTION ............................................................................................................... 7 1.5 THESIS STRUCTURE ...................................................................................................................... 8 2 RESILIENCE: BUILDING A CONCEPTUAL UNDERSTANDING .................... 11 2.1 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 11 2.2 FRAMING THE CONCEPT OF ‘RESILIENCE’ .............................................................................. 12 2.2.1 Psychological resilience ............................................................................................................. 14 2.3 SOCIAL RESILIENCE .................................................................................................................... 16 2.3.1 What is ‘community’? ............................................................................................................. 22 2.4 CRITIQUING ‘SOCIAL RESILIENCE’ ........................................................................................... 23 2.4.1 Resilience and other concepts .................................................................................................... 28 2.5 REFLECTING ON SOCIAL RESILIENCE ...................................................................................... 32 2.6 TOWARDS AN ANALYSIS OF RESILIENCE: FROM ‘TOOLKIT’ TO CONCEPTUALISATION ..... 33 2.7 CONCLUSION .............................................................................................................................. 46 v 3 THE INTERPLAY BETWEEN BROADBAND TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIAL RESILIENCE ................................................................................................................ 47 3.1 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 47 3.2 FRAMING THE INFLUENCE OF BROADBAND .......................................................................... 49 3.3 WHAT IS THE POTENTIAL ROLE FOR BROADBAND WITHIN SOCIAL RESILIENCE? ............
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Radiological Habits Survey Chapelcross 2015
    Radiological Habits Survey Chapelcross 2015 Public Report Report Date: April 2017 i ii Radiological Habits Survey: Chapelcross 2015 Authors and Contributors: A. Tyler, A. Watterson, I. Dale, P. Smith, L. Evans, D. Copplestone, A. Varley, V. Peredo- Alverez, S. Bradley, B. Shaw, P. Bartie and P. Hunter Environmental Radioactivity Laboratoryiii & Occupational and Environmental Health Group iv Foreword This report details the output of the latest Radiological Habits Survey at Chapelcross, which was undertaken in 2015 by the University of Stirling operating under contract to SEPA. This study was one of the first surveys undertaken by a new contractor with a differing approach from the previous contractor in 2010. In order to demonstrate that this new approach was robust and to provide reassurance, as part of its quality assurance, SEPA requested that the contractor put in significant extra verification of data than it would have required had a similar approach been adopted. Steps proposed by the contractor involved undertaking a resurvey during 2016 with a subset of the 2015 group to produce additional data for higher routes of exposure. Data gathered from the survey was then compared to the previous 2010 survey, and provides broadly comparable data which gives reassurance that differing approaches can result in the identification of those higher-rate consumers and locations with the highest occupancy. This data verification exercise was considered useful and has been added to the methodology for future reports. SEPA considers that approaches from this and previous habits surveys are both equally valid and thus provide a robust study into the exposure pathways around the Chapelcross site.
    [Show full text]
  • Low-Cost Wireless Internet System for Rural India Using Geosynchronous Satellite in an Inclined Orbit
    Low-cost Wireless Internet System for Rural India using Geosynchronous Satellite in an Inclined Orbit Karan Desai Thesis submitted to the faculty of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science In Electrical Engineering Timothy Pratt, Chair Jeffrey H. Reed J. Michael Ruohoniemi April 28, 2011 Blacksburg, Virginia Keywords: Internet, Low-cost, Rural Communication, Wireless, Geostationary Satellite, Inclined Orbit Copyright 2011, Karan Desai Low-cost Wireless Internet System for Rural India using Geosynchronous Satellite in an Inclined Orbit Karan Desai ABSTRACT Providing affordable Internet access to rural populations in large developing countries to aid economic and social progress, using various non-conventional techniques has been a topic of active research recently. The main obstacle in providing fiber-optic based terrestrial Internet links to remote villages is the cost involved in laying the cable network and disproportionately low rate of return on investment due to low density of paid users. The conventional alternative to this is providing Internet access using geostationary satellite links, which can prove commercially infeasible in predominantly cost-driven rural markets in developing economies like India or China due to high access cost per user. A low-cost derivative of the conventional satellite-based Internet access system can be developed by utilizing an aging geostationary satellite nearing the end of its active life, allowing it to enter an inclined geosynchronous orbit by limiting station keeping to only east-west maneuvers to save fuel. Eliminating the need for individual satellite receiver modules by using one centrally located earth station per village and providing last mile connectivity using Wi-Fi can further reduce the access cost per user.
    [Show full text]
  • Broadband Access Technologies for Rural Connectivity in Developing Countries
    312 International Journal of Research and Reviews in Computer Science (IJRRCS) Vol. 2, No. 2, April 2011 Broadband Access Technologies for Rural Connectivity in Developing Countries F. Simba 1(Corresponding Author), B.M. Mwinyiwiwa 1, E.M. Mjema 1, L. Trojer 2, N.H. Mvungi 3. 1College of Engineering and Technology of the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. 2Blekinge Institute of Technology, Sweden. 3College of Informatics and Virtual Education of the University of Dodoma, Tanzania. Abstract : Rural areas especially those of the developing Optical fiber technology is another option for access countries provide challenging environment to implement networks; it provides a huge amount of bandwidth in the communication infrastructure for data and Internet based services. range of Gbps. A single strand of fiber offers total The main challenges are the high cost of network implementation bandwidths of 25,000 GHz. Passive Optical Networks and lack of customer base, as rural areas are characterized by low (PONs) are widely deployed to implement the fiber optic income, highly scattered and low population density. This situation drives network operators to establish network infrastructures in access networks [2]. A PON is usually viewed as the final urban/city centers leaving rural areas as underserved community. segment of optical fiber-to-the home (FTTH) or close to it This paper surveys the available connectivity technologies with (FTTx). Commercially available and widely deployed PON potentials to offer broadband access network to rural areas. The access networks are the IEEE 802.3ah Ethernet PON scope of this survey is on wireless access technologies, due to the (EPON) with a symmetric rate of 1.25 Gb/s, or the ITU-T´s fact that they are efficient in terms of cost, time of deployment and G.984 Gigabit PON (GPON) with an upstream rate of 1.244 network management for rural environment.
    [Show full text]
  • Internet Access in Rural Areas: Brake Or Stimulus As Post-Covid-19 Opportunity?
    sustainability Article Internet Access in Rural Areas: Brake or Stimulus as Post-Covid-19 Opportunity? Irune Ruiz-Martínez * and Javier Esparcia Research Institute for Local Development, University of Valencia, Carrer del Serpis 29, 46022 Valencia, Spain; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected] Received: 30 September 2020; Accepted: 16 November 2020; Published: 18 November 2020 Abstract: The lack of internet access in most rural areas has become a challenge worldwide. The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted trends such as teleworking and e-commerce, meaning an opportunity for the local economy of these areas, but with serious difficulties in carrying it out. This paper aims to detect this lack of internet in inland areas of the region of Valencia through local actors, in order to identify clear priorities and real needs through an explorative and replicable approach based on agglomerative hierarchical clustering (AHC). The main findings suggest that there are different patterns in the rural internet access related to adequate infrastructure and planned actions by local councils. In this way, a multitude of contextual elements have emerged that influence the importance of efficient access to the internet in rural areas. It is essential to know the real needs and demands of the population before implementing plans and programs that may not be relevant for the actors involved in territorial development. Keywords: depopulation; rural-urban; internet access 1. Introduction Depopulation and rural–urban inequalities are determining the course of public decisions. Local, provincial or regional administrations have been trying to implement measures and initiatives such as rural hubs [1], and to respond to another of the demands that is most notably unsatisfied.
    [Show full text]
  • Broadband Internet's Value for Rural America
    United States Department of Agriculture Broadband Internet’s Economic Research Value for Rural America Service Economic Peter Stenberg, Mitchell Morehart, Stephen Vogel, Research John Cromartie, Vince Breneman, and Dennis Brown Report Number 78 August 2009 da.gov .us rs .e w Visit Our Website To Learn More! w w www.ers.usda.gov National Agricultural Library Cataloging Record: Broadband Internet’s value for rural America. (Economic research report (United States. Dept. of Agriculture. Economic Research Service); no. 78) 1. Internet—Economic aspects—United States. 2. Rural development—United States. I. Stenberg, Peter. II. United States. Dept. of Agriculture. Economic Research Service. III. Title. HF54.56 Photo credits: Jupiterimages, Corbis, and Eyewire The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and, where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or a part of an individual's income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W.,
    [Show full text]
  • Connecting the Countryside: Understanding Rural Broadband Expansion in Wisconsin
    LEGISLATIVE REFERENCE BUREAU Connecting the Countryside: Understanding Rural Broadband Expansion in Wisconsin Jillian Slaight, PHD legislative analyst WISCONSIN POLICY PROJECT • September 2019, Volume 2, Number 10 © 2019 Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau One East Main Street, Suite 200, Madison, Wisconsin 53703 http://legis.wisconsin.gov/lrb • 608-504-5801 This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, PO Box 1866, Mountain View, CA 94042, USA. Introduction Between 1930 and 1940, electricity spread across rural Wisconsin communities, with al- most all farms electrified by the early 1950s.1 Federal investments under President Frank- lin D. Roosevelt enabled this change, as the creation of the Rural Electrification Admin- istration in 1935 incentivized private utilities, cooperatives, and local governments to provide electricity to rural customers.2 Together, federal and state initiatives promised to close a wide infrastructure gap separating rural Americans from the rest of the country. While government initiatives successfully electrified the countryside nearly a cen- tury ago, recent attempts to close the gap between urban and rural Internet access have faltered: nearly a third of rural Americans (30.7 percent) still lack access to high-speed Internet, also known as broadband.3 The consequences of such a technological disparity are as significant as they were in the 1940s; today, a lack of Internet access forecloses var- ious social, economic, and educational opportunities. But despite these incentives and immense technological advances, broadband expansion takes place in fits and starts, to the frustration of rural residents.
    [Show full text]
  • Overview of Internet Service Provider Technology Considerations for Rural
    Overview of Internet service provider technology considerations for rural broadband deployments Prepared by Paul Garnett & Sid Roberts from the Microsoft Airband Initiative Team June 2018 Below, we provide an explanation of the different technologies our Internet service provider partners are using to deploy broadband networks in rural areas and the role that we expect TV white space technologies to play. As we noted in our Rural Airband Initiative announcement, the most cost-effective approach to closing the digital divide for the 19.4 million people in rural areas in the United States lacking broadband access is to rely on a mixture of available technologies (a “tool kit approach”). This same approach is relevant to rural deployments in other markets. To deliver broadband access to prospective customers, an Internet service provider will consider a variety of available technologies – from satellite communications technologies to terrestrial fixed wireless technologies to fiber-optic connections. High capacity fiber-optic and other wired technologies, along with emerging higher frequency wireless technologies, are typically most cost effective for highly dense suburban and urban areas. Satellite communications technologies are typically the most cost effective for the remotest rural areas. Our partners are focused on areas that have lower population densities than areas where fiber is most cost-effective and are higher in population density than areas where satellite is most cost-effective. In these areas, our partners are primarily focused on using terrestrial (i.e., non- satellite) fixed wireless technologies that operate on an unlicensed or lightly-licensed basis (i.e., without the need to compete and buy an expensive exclusive use spectrum license from the Federal Communications Commission).
    [Show full text]
  • RSAC Scottish Rally: Rally Guide 01
    Rg 01b.17 RSAC Scottish Rally: Rally Guide 01. Version 1b, 28 March 2017 Contents Introduction 3 Contact Information 4 Rally Schedule: Leg 1 5 Rally Schedule: Leg 2 6 Rally Timetable and Critical Deadlines 8 Rally Office Opening Hours 8 Media Office Opening Hours 8 Championships for which the RSAC Scottish Rally Counts 9 Trailer and Service Parks 10 Import of vehicles and parts 10 Fuel/ Tyres 10 Helicopters 10 Hotel/ Accommodation Reservations 11 Media 11 Pre Event Information 11 Media Accreditation 11 Media Accreditation Desk 11 Media Office 11 Filming/ Television 12 Shakedown 12 Pre-Event Testing 12 Medical, Safety and Emergency Services 13 Hospital/ Accident & Emergency Unit 13 Other medical services 13 Pharmacies 13 Opticians 13 Police 13 Useful Services 14 Car Parking (Dumfries) 14 Free Car Parking (Lockerbie) 14 Towing/ Vehicle Recovery 14 Car and Van Hire 14 Mobile Phone Services 14 Taxis 15 Restaurants & Take Aways 15 ATMs 16 Newsagents 16 Post Offices 16 Fuel Stations 17 Electric Vehicle Charging Points 17 Supermarkets 17 Copy Services 17 Vehicle Parts and Accessories 17 THIS DOCUMENT HAS NO REGULATORY VALUE. FOR INFORMATION ONLY Page | 2 RSAC Scottish Rally: Rally Guide 01. Version 1b, 28 March 2017 Introduction This document, as the name suggests, is a guide. Due to the fact that it is written some months before the event, details and timings published here may change a little, but will not affect the overall format. The aim of the guide is to provide you with relevant local information to help make your event an enjoyable one whether you are a competitor, marshal or spectator.
    [Show full text]
  • Nith Ward 9 Profile Nith Ward 9 Profile
    Nith Ward 9 Profile Nith Ward 9 Profile Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland Fifth Review of Electoral Arrangements Final Recommendations Dumfries and Galloway Council area Ward 9 (Nith) ward boundary 0 0 2 M1.5ilem1il.e5s mile Crown Copyright and database right 0 1.5 km 2016. All rights reserved. Ordnance ± Survey licence no. 100022179 Key Statistics - Settlements Council and Partners Facilities Some details about the main towns and villages in Primary Schools: the Nith Ward are given below Calside Primary School 174 Dumfries is identified as the Regional Capital Loreburn Primary School 176 within the Dumfries Housing Market Area, with a population of approximately 32,000. The town is Noblehill Primary School 303 well located and easily accessible to the strategic road system at the junctions of the A75, A76, A701 St Andrew’s Roman Catholic and A709 around the Dumfries bypass. Further Primary School 173 afield the town can access the A74 (M) 11 miles to St Michael’s Primary School 181 the east via the strategic road network. The town is also accessible by rail on the Nith Valley Line Brownhall Primary School 67 between Glasgow and Carlisle. The settlement Caerlaverock Primary School 24 serves as the main administrative, shopping and health care centre for the region providing Langlands 16 amongst other things, a range of employment Elmbank School - and education opportunities, leisure facilities and housing options. Dumfries is an attractive market town with an original medieval core which attracts tourists and visitors and has conservation Secondary Schools: area status. The tidal River Nith flows through the Dumfries Academy 547 town providing an attractive feature and setting, St Joseph’s College 730 however the river also results in a number of areas of flood risk within and around the town.
    [Show full text]
  • I General Area of South Quee
    Organisation Address Line 1 Address Line 2 Address Line3 City / town County DUNDAS PARKS GOLFGENERAL CLUB- AREA IN CLUBHOUSE OF AT MAIN RECEPTION SOUTH QUEENSFERRYWest Lothian ON PAVILLION WALL,KING 100M EDWARD FROM PARK 3G PITCH LOCKERBIE Dumfriesshire ROBERTSON CONSTRUCTION-NINEWELLS DRIVE NINEWELLS HOSPITAL*** DUNDEE Angus CCL HOUSE- ON WALLBURNSIDE BETWEEN PLACE AG PETERS & MACKAY BROS GARAGE TROON Ayrshire ON BUS SHELTERBATTERY BESIDE THE ROAD ALBERT HOTEL NORTH QUEENSFERRYFife INVERKEITHIN ADJACENT TO #5959 PEEL PEEL ROAD ROAD . NORTH OF ENT TO TRAIN STATION THORNTONHALL GLASGOW AT MAIN RECEPTION1-3 STATION ROAD STRATHAVEN Lanarkshire INSIDE RED TELEPHONEPERTH ROADBOX GILMERTON CRIEFFPerthshire LADYBANK YOUTHBEECHES CLUB- ON OUTSIDE WALL LADYBANK CUPARFife ATR EQUIPMENTUNNAMED SOLUTIONS ROAD (TAMALA)- IN WORKSHOP OFFICE WHITECAIRNS ABERDEENAberdeenshire OUTSIDE DREGHORNDREGHORN LOAN HALL LOAN Edinburgh METAFLAKE LTD UNITSTATION 2- ON ROAD WALL AT ENTRANCE GATE ANSTRUTHER Fife Premier Store 2, New Road Kennoway Leven Fife REDGATES HOLIDAYKIRKOSWALD PARK- TO LHSROAD OF RECEPTION DOOR MAIDENS GIRVANAyrshire COUNCIL OFFICES-4 NEWTOWN ON EXT WALL STREET BETWEEN TWO ENTRANCE DOORS DUNS Berwickshire AT MAIN RECEPTIONQUEENS OF AYRSHIRE DRIVE ATHLETICS ARENA KILMARNOCK Ayrshire FIFE CONSTABULARY68 PIPELAND ST ANDREWS ROAD POLICE STATION- AT RECEPTION St Andrews Fife W J & W LANG LTD-1 SEEDHILL IN 1ST AID ROOM Paisley Renfrewshire MONTRAVE HALL-58 TO LEVEN RHS OFROAD BUILDING LUNDIN LINKS LEVENFife MIGDALE SMOLTDORNOCH LTD- ON WALL ROAD AT
    [Show full text]
  • The Impact of Internet Use on Income: the Case of Rural Ghana
    sustainability Article The Impact of Internet Use on Income: The Case of Rural Ghana Anthony Siaw , Yuansheng Jiang * , Martinson Ankrah Twumasi and Wonder Agbenyo College of Economics, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China; [email protected] (A.S.); [email protected] (M.A.T.); [email protected] (W.A.) * Correspondence: [email protected] Received: 21 February 2020; Accepted: 6 April 2020; Published: 17 April 2020 Abstract: This study analyzed the effects of internet use on farm income and household income using survey data from 478 rural farmers from two regions in Ghana. An endogenous switching regression (ESR) model and probit models were employed to achieve the aims of the study. The results revealed that internet use was influenced by off-farm employment, education, access to credit, non-fixed asset (NFA), age, and perception variables. We found that internet use increased farm income and household income by 20.1% and 15.47%, respectively. Regarding heterogeneous impacts, the estimates showed that internet use reduced farm income by 18.12% for farm households that participated in off-farm activities but increased farm income by 14.66% for households that had access to NFA. The estimates also indicated that internet use increased household income by 31.77% for farm households that engaged in off-farm employment and by 15.33% for those that had access to NFA. Furthermore, internet use increased the household income for households that did not engage in off-farm activities by 24.85%. The findings of this study will contribute significantly to the existing literature on information communication technology (ICT) in developing countries by providing a new reference for improving rural development and solving the problem of poverty.
    [Show full text]
  • Tidelines Spring 2012
    1 Spring/Summer 2012 Newsletter of the Solway Firth Partnership Issue 36 Making the Most of the Coast Dumfries and Galloway’s stunning coastline will get a well earned boost See Pages 4 - 5 Cover Photograph by Allan Pollok-Morris FLAG’s First Project Takes Off For further information, to submit an article or to join the SFP mailing list please contact: 2020Vision Solway Firth Partnership, Campbell House, The Crichton, Bankend Road, Dumfries, DG1 4UQ With help from world Tel 01387 702161 • Email [email protected] • Website www.solwayfirthpartnership.co.uk Tidelines speaks to The Solway Firth Partnership is a Scottish Company Limited by guarantee and without share capital under renowned chef, Company Number SC250012 and a Scottish Charity under Scottish Charity Number SCO34376. Chris Gomersall Registered office: Campbell House, The Crichton, Dumfries DG1 4UQ Jean-Christophe Novelli Published by Solway Firth Partnership, print and design by FP Commercial Print, Stranraer. Pages 6 -7 Pages 13-15 2 3 The area sees further investment with the launch our Making the Most of the Coast project. This will highlight the exceptional quality of the Dumfries and Galloway coastline Page 2 Chairman’s Column and aim to ensure the region achieves the maximum benefit from its natural assets. Two additional staff will be employed by the Partnership and, over the following two years, their work Page 3 Contents will complement that of the Solway Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty team based at Silloth. We are very grateful to the funders of this £200K project which you can find out more about on the following pages.
    [Show full text]