Dive Brief:
- At the recent Smart Cities Connect Conference and Expo in Austin, TX, US Ignite announced an expansion of its Smart Gigabit Communities (SGC) Program Network to "advance creation of a new generation of smart community applications."
- The five cities added to the network were Washington; Albuquerque, NM; Jackson, TN; Phoenix; and San Diego.
- By entering the network, each city will develop two gigabit applications per year to advance technology solutions and provide models and examples for other SGCs.
Dive Insight:
During the keynote session in which the announcement was made, each city took the stage to be honored for their efforts in building smart communities. While Washington was applauded for its water quality and waste management infrastructure, Albuquerque was applauded for its efforts to bring LED lighting to the city — proving that each city has its own unique experiences and applications to teach to its neighbors. As part of a network encompassing 19 cities total, these new additions are also guaranteed to learn from program veterans.
US Ignite — which co-hosted the conference and expo — exemplifies the type of organization that is crucial for smart city encouragement and growth. By highlighting the leaders in various smart spaces, US Ignite helps drive change in cities that may not have been motivated to do so before. Additionally, US Ignite provides technical assistant to its partner cities to help develop concepts through funding and networking.
