The City of Austin is one of 15 U.S. cities selected as a Smart Gigabit Community to be at the forefront of developing and deploying next-generation internet technologies to better serve residents.

Austin joins such high-tech leaders as Charlotte, N.C., and Kansas City, Mo., to share and test these applications to provide advanced technology solutions to issues faced by each community.  Each member will develop a total of two gigabit applications or gigabit public services annually that will be adaptable to other members.

The applications will focus on six areas of national priority:

• Advanced manufacturing.
• Education and workforce.
• Energy.
• Health.
• Public Safety.
• Transportation.

"A smart gigabyte community is one that uses technology in ways that help the people in our community who are usually left behind,” Mayor Steve Adler said. “This program, and the applications that result from it, will change the way we receive healthcare, educate our children, keep our community safe and increase energy efficiency.”

The consortium is coordinated by US Ignite, a public-private nonprofit. The initiative is sponsored by the National Science Foundation and supported by corporations including Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Juniper, Mozilla, Internet2 and Viavi Solutions.

 “Having Internet speed and bandwidth is only part of the equation. We need to find ways to use that resource to better serve our community – especially those most vulnerable or at-risk,” City Manager Marc A. Ott said. “We welcome the opportunity to work with partners like US Ignite to reinvent how cities can serve our residents.”
 
US Ignite will assist each community by providing ideas, education and resources for funding and deployment.
 
“This program is a pivotal moment for Smart Community application development,” said Glenn Ricart, co-founder and Chief Technology Officer for US Ignite. “The benefits of each community’s program will be amplified by this network of Smart Gigabit Communities”

For more information, please visit City of Austin, TX