BROADBAND COMMUNITIES is the leading source of information on digital and broadband technologies for buildings and communities. Our editorial aims to accelerate the deployment of Fiber-To-The-Home and Fiber-To-The-Premises.
Issue link: https://bbcmag.epubxp.com/i/232134
impact is not guaranteed. Intentional focus is necessary to achieve these results. Rick Usher, Kansas City, Mo.: Google Fiber is proving to be a talent attractor and retainer in Kansas City. People are moving there to use the network to start businesses. Tere are now close to a dozen houses in the new KC Startup Village [an entrepreneurled initiative that helps the Kansas City startup community, in part by supplying live/work space]. City government is compiling a database of startups and business successes related to Google Fiber. Mike Burke, Launch KC: Tings are moving at dizzying speed in Kansas City. Tere's a digital event almost every week. Te way organizations such as the Digital Sandbox [a federally funded, proof-of-concept incubator for tech companies], Code for America [a nonproft that helps develop new technology for government use] and KC Startup Village work together has huge implications for urban design. Many tech companies are applying for free space, and we're helping them fnd it. Launch KC is working as an economic development organization and In earlier years, Kansas City exported talent to the coasts. Today, the talent is coming back. KC's new tech startups require coworking space in walkable areas with gyms and cofee shops. surpassing the traditional organizations. Cerner, a corporation that already had a presence in Kansas City, just announced a new campus with 15,000 employees. We were exporting talent, but now the talent is coming back. New tech startups require coworking space, and private companies are opening these spaces. Unlike traditional ofce parks, the coworking spaces are located in the central city in walkable areas with plenty of cofee shops, restaurants and gyms and with access to transportation. Te sociology is fascinating! And it all happened organically, not through the big hand of government. If you try to build something that's cool, it's probably not. Aaron Deacon, KC Digital Drive: KC Digital Drive's goals are Economic development: Digital Sandbox has funded 27 early-stage companies, and KC Startup Village has 31 more. Some of these companies will succeed. Some are already attracting real fnancing. Digital inclusion: We're making sure opportunities extend across the economic spectrum. Working with organizations such as Connecting for Good and the Free Network Foundation, we have projects to address the digital divide so that everyone can move forward together. We're expanding skill sets to include coding, 3D digital printing and more. Application development: We're working with US Ignite to get people to envision what the next generation of applications looks like. Gigabit city leadership: We've hosted visitors from dozens of other cities and countries. Taking Charge of Adoption Michael Curri, Strategic Networks Group: A successful broadband network requires not only great technology but also great utilization. Utilization is what generates cash fow for network operators and produces economic benefts for communities. For a business, simply adopting broadband isn't the same as using it efectively. Adoption isn't sustainable unless businesses actually use broadband to its fullest potential and connect with their partners and customers via the Internet. When the North Georgia Network launched its new business services, only 18 percent of potential customers signed up. Te network needed 30 percent to break even. Networks in Scandinavian countries and Australia have experienced similar problems. Strategic Networks Group found that Georgia businesses had many barriers to using broadband (other than lack of awareness that superfast broadband was available), including security and privacy issues, cost, expertise and fear of losing personal contact with their customers. Operators can address many of these concerns – for example, by explaining how to ofer secure payment processing. We profled businesses to determine how they were using the Internet and compared them with similar businesses. NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013 | www.broadbandcommunities.com SNG has a huge database, and we could show businesses that their utilization levels related directly to their revenue growth. If a business isn't utilizing e-solutions, it's losing market share. Many businesses need help adopting the e-solutions that aren't self-evident – and those are the ones with the biggest benefts. Tey should learn to use social media to build trust and infuence. A local hardware store could recommend additional purchases the way Amazon does; a local barber shop can allow customers to sign up online for the time slots they want. Or, a business may need help in changing its organizational culture to permit | BROADBAND COMMUNITIES | 43