Gig.U: A Tale of Two Cities (Seattle and Cleveland)

On July 27, 2011, a broad-based group of 29 universities and communities across the country launched Gig.U: The University Community Next Generation Innovation Project.

Drawing on America’s rich history of community-led innovation in research and entrepreneurship, Gig.U seeks to accelerate the deployment of ultra-high-speed networks to leading U.S. universities and their surrounding communities. Improvements to these networks drive economic growth and stimulate a new generation of innovations to address critical needs like health care and education.

University communities increasingly depend on high-speed networks to enable education, promote collaboration, and share large amounts of information instantaneously. Research in real time has fueled the growth of the global information economy, yet today’s market for bandwidth services does not address the particular needs of university communities. Gig.U’s mission is to create a favorable climate for investment in next-generation network test-beds and trigger a new generation of high-speed networking offerings for these communities. We believe a small amount of investment can yield big returns for the U.S. economy and American society.