Like many counties that became used to using old copper networks to bring the internet to homes, the US is starting to fall behind in terms of price and speed, with its larger telecoms companies reluctant to invest in expensive fibre networks. With that in mind, 101 US cities have come together to agree to a vastly ambitious project to bring gigabit-speed internet to America, and they’ll build it themselves if they need to.
The cities are part of the Next Century Cities coalition, which aims to help cities to manage the massive undertaking of constructing an extensive fibre network. Deb Socia, executive director for Next Century Cities, said, “Since launching Next Century Cities in October, we’ve seen incredible demand from cities looking to lead the conversation about the crucial role next-generation Internet plays in helping communities thrive.”
The Next Century Cities coalition doesn’t just help create the infrastructure, it also negotiates with federal and state authorities to work within each region’s laws and regulations. Almost as an extension of net neutrality, the group wants to take the internet out of the hands of big business and deliver it to the people, maintaining the highest quality and speed without having to sacrifice services.
Next Century Cities has not set a timeframe by which it hopes to establish gigabit-speed internet networks in its 100 cities, but it currently working hard to make it a reality.
Thank you Vice for providing us with this information.
Image courtesy of NextPowerUp.
