I will begin by apologizing for the terrible pun in the headline. I have a problem, and admitting it is the first step. [Editor: We made him say that.] The IoT is also taking a big step toward its eventual enlightenment of the global marketplace with a new trans-pacific partnership (not THAT one) agreement. [Editor: Dammit, Ken.]
The Government of South Australia, the Adelaide Gig City Initiative and US Ignite announced September 26 that Adelaide is to be the first international city to join the growing US Ignite Smart Gigabit Communities program. The U.S. White House made the announcement in a fact sheet.
In a press conference at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., representatives from US Ignite, Inc., a public-private partnership funded in part by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the South Australian Government to add Adelaide to the 15 U.S. communities that were part of the program’s launch one year ago.
The initiative is being announced as part of Smart Cities Week.
“Solving society’s most vexing problems requires global thinking,” said Joe Kochan, co-founder and COO, US Ignite. “That’s why we’re pleased to have the city of Adelaide join the NSF-funded Smart Gigabit Communities program as our first international collaborator. This project will accelerate the development of next-generation applications while building a critical mass of hyper-connected communities which will have ripple effects: if networks are fast, reliable and widely available, companies can and will produce more capable applications to run on those networks, which in turn brings new users online and increases use among those who already subscribe to broadband services.”
Last month, the city of Adelaide announced Australia’s first “Gig City” project, offering local businesses high-speed Internet that’s up to 100 times the national average. With partner SABRENet, Adelaide will offer high-speed Internet at an affordable rate, with the State Government contributing to the operational costs of access over the next four years.
“In addition to being one of the most liveable places in the world, South Australia is quickly becoming one of the most connected,” said the Honorable Kyam Maher, South Australia’s Minister for Science and Information Economy. “Our economy is global, competitive and interconnected and the potential power of combined talents between nations could greatly improve the amount of knowledge and possible solutions to many of our communities’ challenges.”
Edited by
Alicia Young