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
PIONEER COMMUNITIES In the last two years, there have been several eforts to create gigabit networks in the United States, including eforts by Gig.U communities, Google Fiber, individual communities and, more recently, incumbent providers. Gig.U formed with a question: Could research university communities – which have attractive characteristics of demand, density, demographics and innovative cultures – change the math for world-leading network deployments? Working collectively where appropriate and tailoring their answer to local circumstances, 18 communities believe the answer is "yes" and have announced plans to move forward. 1. Cleveland, Ohio: Case Western Reserve University and OneCommunity, a nonproft that owns and operates a high-speed, allfber network in Northeast Ohio, built on the success of the Case Connection Zone, a gigabit beta block, by using gigabit connectivity to test how big bandwidth can be used to improve community wellness. Further, this September, the city of Shaker Heights (part of the Cleveland metro area) and OneCommunity announced a partnership to bring gigabit broadband to a neighborhood, creating the frst fberhood in Northeast Ohio. 2. Orono and Old Town, Maine: A local ISP, GWI, is building mixed-use gigabit networks in a staged buildout around the University of Maine. In July, the two municipalities jointly fled a grant application to the Northern Border Regional Commission for seed money to create a municipally owned, open-access FTTH network. A jointly owned entity will lease last-mile fber to ISPs, such as GWI, so they may provide retail services at gigabit speeds rather than at the slower speeds supported by the currently leased copper local loops. 3. Gainesville, Fla.: Gainesville Regional Utilities is building an Innovation Square surrounding the Eighteen Gig.U communities have announced plans to move forward in providing themselves with world-leading networks. Some of these networks are already being built. University of Florida with a gigabit service ofering embedded in the development. 4. East Lansing, Mich.: Real estate owners and other public and private entities in the communities surrounding Michigan State University are bringing gigabit networks to apartments – already serving more than 12,000 subscribers – and taking a multitude of steps to improve the economic environment for the deployment of a regional gigabit network. 5. Champaign-Urbana, Ill.: Te University of Illinois and the cities of Champaign and Urbana collaborated to support the Urbana-Champaign Big Broadband (UC2B) project, initially supported by federal Broadband Technology Opportunity Program funds. Building of a successful deployment, UC2B released a request for information seeking applications to extend the $29.4 million network to homes and businesses beyond the already funded project area. Te coalition is reviewing responses. In addition, the project has developed an aggressive community engagement strategy, signing up and precommitting residents to ultrahigh-speed service to demonstrate demand. It is in the midst of converting the intergovernmental consortium to a 501(c)(4) organization. 6. Chicago, Ill.: In October 2012, the University of Chicago, in partnership with the state of Illinois and the city, announced a project to bring gigabit-speed fber to more than 4,825 residents, businesses, NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013 | www.broadbandcommunities.com schools and health care institutions in Chicago's Mid-South Side neighborhoods. As the project, Gigabit Chicago, advances, based on neighborhood participation and adoption, next-generation broadband access will potentially be available to as many as 210,000 residents in 79,000 households as well as to the 10,000 businesses in the area. Announcing the partnership, Illinois Governor Quinn noted, "Smart communities will foster the job engines of the future. To win in the information economy, we need information infrastructure that is second to none." In addition, the city of Chicago released an RFI with its frst goal being to "create an open-access gigabit fber network in targeted commercial and industrial corridors to foster innovation, drive job creation and drive economic growth." 7. Seattle, Wash.: In December 2012, the city of Seattle, in partnership with the University of Washington, announced the Gigabit Seattle project. A key component of the project is the city's ability to lease the excess capacity from the city's own extensive fber network to private parties willing and able to provide the fnal element of connectivity. Te project includes three pieces: • Fiber to the home and business • Dedicated gigabit wireless to multifamily housing and ofces • Next-generation mobile wireless Internet. Tough Seattle had a strongly contested mayoral race this fall, with the local cable provider, Comcast, contributing to the challenger, both | BROADBAND COMMUNITIES | 81