TSSG - Telecommunications Software & Systems Group: CARP

CARP

Connected Communities' was a South East Regional Authority initiative to create a viable model for delivering information and communication services to small communities in the South East Region. The first stage of this initiative, with the support of the Southern Regional Assembly, is complete with 5 pilot communities one in each of the five regional counties now producing and self-publishing local and relevant content for their communities. Each community has an active local portal and messaging services for groups in place. The pilot communities involved in the project were:

· www.raheeninfo.ie in Wexford

· www.dfbainfo.ie in Waterford

· www.freshfordinfo.ie in Kilkenny

· www.cahirinfo.ie in South Tipperary.

CARP (Content and Access for Rural People) is the next step in this initiative is to provide a local broadband service to meet the growing demand for high speed, always on access.

The CARP project began on 01/06/2004 and runs until 31/11/2005. It is funded through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) INTERREG IIIA.

TSSG Contact Info:

Mr. Frank McCarthy

fmccarthy@tssg.org

+35351302920

Extended Description

Through Carp the Irish partners leveraged the wireless expertise amassed in Wales over a period of two years before the project and the Welsh partners used Carp to leverage the skills developed during the Connected Communities project on the Irish side (ref. http://www.claneire.com)

Summary of outputs

Transfer of the Connected Communities content engine and expertise to the Welsh partner and its implementation in five communities in Wales. Ref. http://www.claneire.ie.

Provision of wireless broadband access to the participating communities to enable them to download the substantial content that was developed during the connected communities project.