“TUCAN3G” - Wireless technologies for isolated rural communities in developing countries based on cellular 3G femtocell deployments

(FP7-ICT-2011-9)

Recent years have witnessed a massive penetration of cellular telephony in developing countries. However, isolated rural areas (inhabited by low-income population) have generally been disregarded because classical access and backhaul technologies do not assure the return on investment. As communication is crucial in human development, finding innovative solutions to connect these areas is an utmost necessity.

The objective of TUCAN3G project is to obtain a technologically feasible and yet economically sustainable solution for the progressive introduction of voice and broadband data services in rural communities of developing countries, using commercial cellular terminals, 3G femtocells (and its possible evolution to 4G) and heterogeneous backhauling (WiLD-WiMAX-VSAT). The project also proposes the installation of a demonstration platform in the Peruvian jungle to verify the solution, enable the verification of business model hypothesis and results, and serve as a general showcase. The project focuses on:

• Finding a suitable business model
• Enhancing the access network using femtocells
• Enhancing the transport network using WiFi-WiMAX-VSAT backhauling
• Checking the viability through demonstration platform

KiNNO Consultants Ltd. as partner of the project is responsible to:

• Define the basis & parameters of market research in the Peruvian and Colombian Amazon areas, product marketing, funding and business models.
• Coordinate market study and provide data from peer regions on International & Global perspective.
• Define product marketing strategies, provide methodologies for funding models & finances, analyze the results provided by the business model’s validation
• Design & develop a sustainable Case Business Model
• Support on the exploitation & dissemination of project’s results. Propose clusters & actions for further commercialization of results in the market

Partnership: Universitat Politècnica De Catalunya (Spain), Universidad Rey Juan Carlos (Spain), Universidad Católica Del Perú (Perú), Universidad Del Cauca (Colombia), Fondo De Inversión en Telecomunicaciones (Perú),  Ip.Access (UK), Telefónica Del Perú (Perú),  Fundación EHAS (Spain),  Telefónica International Wholesale Services (Spain), Centro Regional De Productividad e Innovación Del Cauca (Colombia), Kinno Knowledge And Innovation Consultants (Greece).

Website: www.ict-tucan3g.eu .