The connecting of communities with gigabit networks is only half the battle. The full value of this technology will not be reached until we develop applications that harness the power of the networks.

15 gigabit cities or cities with gigabit-equiped facilities will participate in a three-year project to develop some of the best and most innovative applications that exploit the capabilities of super highspeed networks. Under the guidance US Ignite, a nonprofit organization that facilitates next-generation Internet creations, these products and services will impact how some Americans work, live, learn and play.

US Ignite’s COO Joe Kochan discusses the various features and the goals of the program. Kochan expects the respective projects to have their own objectives, but these 15 communities represent an experiment in national gigabit collaboration in which the outcomes are greater in the sum of each community’s efforts.

Communities participating include: Burlington, VT; Chattanooga, TN; Cleveland, OH; Flint, MI; Kansas City, KS MO; Madison, WI; the North Carolina Next Generation Network (NCNGN); Richardson, TX; Utah Wasatch Front cities including Salt Lake City and Provo, UT; Lafayette, LA; Urbana-Champaign, IL; and Austin, TX. Their projects involve an array of software, hardware and services.