In 1986, the Arkleton Trust, an independent research charity based in the Highlands of Scotland, launched Rurtel, one of the earliest public-access computer-based communications network of its kind in Europe. The aim was to demonstrate and explore the potential for new and emerging information and communications technologies in remote rural areas, with particular emphasis on organisations and individuals involved in community, educational and economic development in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, one of the most remote and sparsely populated regions in Europe.
Origins The Arkleton Trust was established in 1977 to study new approaches to rural development and education, and improve understanding between rural policymakers, academics, practitioners and rural people. The Trust has a long-standing reputation for its national and international work on rural development policy and practice, encouraging the sharing of experience and knowledge gained, with particular emphasis on assisting and promoting rural development in the less favoured regions around the world. It has done this through high-level seminars, its publications programme, study tours, fellowships and major international research projects. In 1985, the Arkleton Trust, under the leadership of its Programme Director Dr.John Bryden, commenced a twelve-nation, five-year, multi-national European research programme on Rural Change in Europe. As part of the programme, the Arkleton Trust piloted an early asynchronous computer-mediated communications (CMC) system using CoSy (short for Conferencing System) software, developed by Professor John Black,librarian at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada, and colleagues. The CoSy system was evaluated as the platform for linking project staff and researchers involved in compiling and analysing research material in institutions across Europe and North America. CoSy had been developed primarily as a distance learning platform for colleges and universities in North America. It was later selected by the Open University in the UK as the basis for the University's national "electronic campus", launched in 1987. Bryden’s experience with the CoSy system, coupled with a commitment to improving rural communication and establishing more effective information exchange in rural areas, led the Arkleton Trust to consider trialling computer-mediated communications to enable greater interaction between organisations, policymakers, researchers and field workers engaged in rural development programmes. Working in collaboration with the Highlands aqdn Islands Development Board, British Telecom and the CoSy development team at Guelph University, the Arkleton Trust developed Rurtel. a low-cost, computer-based conferencing and email system to enable organisations and individuals to overcome the traditional barriers of time, distance and cost, long associated with remote rural areas.
The Rurtel System The Rurtel system incorporated electronic mail, computer conferencing, file transfer and other electronic data services. One of the key features of the system was that users could access Rurtel using an ordinary PC with a dial-up modem, connected via a conventional telephone line to the Rurtel server, hosted on a high capacity micro computer running UNIX, located at the Arkleton Trust's office in the village of Nethy Bridge, south east of Inverness. The server was connected through a dataline linked directly to British Telecom's Packet Switching Service (PSS) which in turn, linked users to the International data networks (IPSS). The initial system offered 8 simultaneous lines to users, open 24 hours a day and had the capacity to handle approximately 60 regular users. Rurtel users were required to log on to the system, identifying themselves with an ID and password. They were then free to use all the services the system provided. These included sending or receiving private mail messages, and viewing or contributing to topics within open "conferences". It also had a "moderator" whose task was to stimulate and guide discussions, and add new participants as and when required. The system also incorporated a "conversation" mode which allowed users to correspond privately in a closed, confidential and informal conference with one or more other users. The Rurtel system was designed to provide people in diverse geographical locations and workplaces, the opportunity to communicate and share ideas and information in a time and location independent manner. The CoSy software was licensed from the University of Guelph, and British Telecom provided support by offering Rurtel users in the North of Scotland local call dial-up access to the packet switch stream service. Local call access was negotiated with BT following a joint conference with BT and HIDB in Inverness at which the HIDB, Rurtel users and others present made strong arguments for local call access. Providing local call access was a significant incentive for users since most telephone calls from the Highlands and Islands were charged at long-distance rates.
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