Munis are in the infrastructure business, a.k.a. municipal broadband networks, and doing rather well at it. Indianola Municipal Utilities (IMU) in Iowa is a great example of a city-built asset that is busy creating innovative solutions to meet Indianola’s needs. IMU's network facilitates STEM projects in high schools and colleges, brings students and tech entrepreneurs into startup ventures, and hosts an advertising network that drives new sales for businesses.

Todd Keilkopf, General Manager of IMU, joins us to describe some of the many benefits of the network, as well as future plans for the network. Similar to Cedar Falls, the other gigabit network in the state, there is a lot of emphasis on economic development. Clearly things are jumping in this part of Iowa. The key to success for IMU has been the creative and extensive use of partnerships, as Keilkopf as keen to point out.