Hartford – New Haven Mayor Toni N. Harp joined state Comptroller
Kevin Lembo today to offer joint testimony on a legislative proposal –
An Act Concerning Gigabit Internet Access – that would support the
development of ultra-high-speed gigabit Internet service statewide.
New Haven is in front of a statewide coalition of both state and
municipal leaders to deploy gigabit broadband service for everyone in
Connecticut, including underserved areas. More than 100 Connecticut
cities and towns have expressed interest in bringing technology to their
communities and joining the growing economic development movement.
Collaborators include State Sen. Beth Bye, D-West Hartford, Consumer
Counsel Elin Swanson Katz, West Hartford Deputy Mayor Shari Cantor and
Stamford Mayor David Martin.
Mayor Harp and Comptroller Lembo testified together today on the
gigabit legislation, which could have very significant economic
development and consumer benefits.
“Today the transmission of data is what’s needed to form the
bedrock of an information age economy,” New Haven Mayor Toni N. Harp
said. “New Haven needs one gigabit capacity to transport the medical
data, financial transactions, and research information that are the
currency of New Haven in 2015. Today, our entire state needs this
dramatic infrastructure upgrade to accommodate a deluge of digital
information.”
“This legislation has the potential to energize and expand
Connecticut’s economy in a way that will have lasting effects for
decades,” Lembo said. “Gigabit broadband service would rapidly
deliver information – serving as a superhighway for researchers,
schools, businesses large and small and every household. It would be the
ultimate economic assistance incentive program because it would reward
all business and industries, new ones and those already established
here, with a superior infrastructure and an open door.”
A gigabit broadband network is capable of 1,000 megabit-per-second
(Mbps) upload and download speeds. The current average home speed in
Connecticut is only 9 Mbps download and even slower upload.
“This initiative is about much more than movie and music
downloads,” Lembo said. “In fact, it’s hardly about entertainment
at all. It’s about economic development and innovation.”
Connecticut companies both large and small face significant challenges
transacting daily business with global clients due to the costs and
limitations of the state’s existing Internet technology capability.
“Some of Connecticut's businesses are experiencing impediments to
their day-to-day work because of the lack of this technology in the
state,” Lembo said. “Gigabit broadband service will provide a strong
economic development incentive to business and bring more competition to
the broadband market, reducing costs and improving service for all
businesses and households that are suffering from high broadband, cable
and phone bills.”
Lembo and Harp said gigabit development in towns and cities across the
country are spurring new start-up communities and attracting new
corporate residents. They pointed to the success of gigabit networks in
areas like Kansas City, MO; Austin, TX; and Chattanooga, TN.
“Not only are new and existing entrepreneurs able to plug into a
reliable and worthwhile network, but consumers and businesses alike are
able to reap more competitive pricing for broadband service,” Lembo
said. “In gigabit municipalities, customers are seeing improved
customer service and reduced costs for higher-speed broadband service
– in some cases going from several thousand dollars a month to
roughly $70/a month. For residential consumers of cable, phone and
Internet services the costs for bundled services have been reduced
significantly.
“The state needs to start thinking about high-speed internet the way
it thinks about rails and roads. But fortunately, unlike roads that
have to be maintained every three or four years, this infrastructure
will long outlive any financing. As a small state with high population
density we have a real opportunity to leapfrog other states by having
access to gigabit broadband service statewide. Gigabit broadband
networks are coming. Connecticut can get on board or be left
behind.”
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