Riverside, CA started building its citywide wireless network in 2006, and it went live in 2007. It began providing computers to low-income families before the network buildout when residents only had dial-up service as a free option. ... continue reading »
A lot of the articles you read on broadband and economic development give the impression that fiber is the only broadband technology that matters. While it is true that a lot of the highspeed horsepower for online computing tasks such as videoconferencing, moving huge data files and voice calls over the Internet (VoIP) comes from fiber, wireless still has a vital role to play. ... continue reading »
If the first Gigabit City Summit was about how cities learn from each other, then the second installment was where the real learning got started. ... continue reading »
Google’s most recent post, “The State of Broadband Internet Access in Kansas City”, on the Google Fiber blog sparked a discussion over the weekend as to who truly owns or should own the business of broadband in Kansas City.
On June 24, broadband strategist Craig Settles posted an article on GigaOM entitled “Does Kansas City own the business of broadband?”, providing a list of seven things that gauges whether a city is properly developing the broadband infrastructure, a process, he said, “by which communities use the technology as a tool to improve economic development, transform education and expedite healthcare delivery. ... continue reading »
Google's newest post on their "Google Fiber Blog" explains the results of a recent study, in partner with the Mayor's Bistate Innovation Team (MBIT) to decipher the digital literacy of Kansas City residents. With 25 percent of residents without access to broadband and 17 percent not going on the Internet at all, a good chunk of Kansas City is missing out on a technology that no longer deals strictly with email and social connections. ... continue reading »