With 46 of Connecticut’s Cities and Towns Planning a Gigabit Network, Deadline for Responses is January 13
January 12, 2015 – A total of 46 Connecticut towns have now joined a flourishing effort to build a state-wide Gigabit Network, and applications responding to the bidding request are due tomorrow, January 13, at 11 a.m. ET. On December 19, 2014, state officials announced that 46 of Connecticut’s 169
January 12, 2015 – A total of 46 Connecticut towns have now joined a flourishing effort to build a state-wide Gigabit Network, and applications responding to the bidding request are due tomorrow, January 13, at 11 a.m. ET.
On December 19, 2014, state officials announced that 46 of Connecticut’s 169 towns – and representing more than half of the state’s residents — have joined the public-private effort to build a open Gigabit Network. Broadband Breakfast reported the news of the announcement, as well as further discussions with officials from the pioneering cities of New Haven, Stamford, and West Hartford.
“The response from our state’s towns has been overwhelming,” said Elin Swanson Katz, the state’s consumer representative. “I’ve heard over and over that municipal officials are frustrated with available internet speeds and the cost to their towns of upgrading internet networks. These 46 municipalities have made the decision to take control of the situation.”
Katz continued: “How do we get faster, cheaper, more reliable internet? Partnering with the private sector to examine the best way to build and finance these Gig networks is the first step in making them a reality in Connecticut.”
In part because of the increasing demand from the Connecticut cities — growing well beyond the three pioneering cities that issued the initial Request for Qualifications (RFQ) on September 15 — the deadline for responses was extended to January 13, at 11 a.m. ET. Information about the application process is available at http://ct.gov/occ and http://www.cityofnewhaven.com/PurchasingBureauOnline/index.asp.
Drew Clark is the Chairman of the Broadband Breakfast Club. He tracks the development of Gigabit Networks, broadband usage, the universal service fund and wireless policy @BroadbandCensus. He is also Of Counsel with the firm of Kirton McConkie, based in Salt City City, Utah. You can find him on LinkedIN, Google+ and Twitter. The articles and posts on BroadbandBreakfast.com and affiliated social media are not legal advice or legal services, do not constitute the creation of an attorney-client privilege, and represent the views of their respective authors. Clark brings experts and practitioners together to advance the benefits provided by broadband: job creation, telemedicine, online learning, public safety, energy, transportation and eGovernment.
