46
FUN FIBER FACTS:
Craig Settles - Reality Check
Craig Settles Updates His
Annual International Economic
Development Council Survey,
Joined by IEDC Chairman
William Sproull
A
t the Summit, community facilitator
and broadband evangelist Craig
Settles will present his 2014 survey
of economic development professionals,
assessing the impact
of specifc tactics
that use broadband
to improve local
economies. Attendees
at this session will also
receive valuable tips on
creating an economic
development plan that
leverages broadband.
Tis year's primary survey objective is to learn
some specifc steps that economic development
people need to take to leverage broadband, with
a particular interest in learning how Internet-
enhanced healthcare impacts local economies.
As in previous years, the survey report is
more a narrative than a hard-number statistical
record. But it has correctly recorded increasing
disenchantment with the ability of wireless
systems, even municipal wireless, to drive
economic development. Te survey has also
documented increasing interest in fber systems,
especially among rural economic development
ofcials.
Settles became fascinated with wireless as
Electronic Commerce Director for Metricom,
which in 1997
implemented the
frst muni Wi-Fi
services. Tese days,
he typically works
with one or two
municipalities a year.
Among the recent ones
have been Ottumwa
IA, Benicia CA, and
Little Tokyo Los Angeles. But when he did
his frst survey of IEDC members in 2006, he
found that the economic promise of municipal
wireless had been overstated by vendors and in
the media.
Above:
Craig Settles
President
Gigabit Nation
Above right:
Opportunities
for interaction.
Planners once ignored
broadband issues.
Not any more!
Register Now
www.bbcmag.com
BBC_SummitPromo_Feb14.indd 46 2/12/14 5:53 PM