Tuesday US Ignite announced that Chattanooga is among the first group of cities to be named Smart Gigabit Communities at the Smart Cities Innovation Summit in Austin, Tx.
In an effort to foster a national sustainable gigabit application development ecosystem, the Smart Gigabit Cities is sponsored by the National Science Foundation and supported by several additional technology leaders. Each Smart Gigabit City has committed to develop at least two gigabit-enabled applications or public services and to share them with other cities involved in the program.
Having already developed several gigabit-enabled applications, three of the demonstrations being highlighted at the Smart Cities Summit were designed in Chattanooga.
Chattanooga-born applications include remote ultra HD (4K) microscopy at STEM School Chattanooga, live 4K streaming from the Tennessee Aquarium, and a joint musical performance between Chattanooga and Austin using low latency conferencing technology and Internet2.
“Chattanooga continues to be on the national forefront in the development and deployment of new applications that will profoundly impact how Americans live, work, and play,” said Bill Wallace, executive director of US Ignite.
“The city is a crucial part of our efforts to jumpstart a critical mass of gigabit applications addressing national priorities.”
"Today we are proud to join a handful of cities to create a network of communities looking for real ways to impact everyday life for citizens," said Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke. "As a leader in the innovation economy, Chattanooga is demonstrating three of the gigabit applications featured during today's conference. That means our local talent, assets, and technological infrastructure will be a catalyst in how communities across the world access healthcare, teach students, keep streets safe, and use energy more efficiently."
On hand to demonstrate the power of gigabit connectivity for education are Dr. Richard Weinberg of USC School of Cinematic Arts, STEM School Chattanooga science instructor Shannon Siegle, and 12th grade student, Katie Stiffler. Together, they will showcase how STEM School Chattanooga students are able to see and learn about microbiology in 4K because of Dr. Weinberg’s 4K microscope and gigabit connectivity.
Nokia representatives will present the Chattanooga Airport’s live 4K video stream from the Alligator Bayou habitat in the Tennessee Aquarium. A collaborative effort among Chattanooga and Nokia ng Connect partners, this project is the first municipal demonstration of ultra-high definition live video in the country.
Promoting the benefits of gigabit speeds in the arts will be musicians from Chattanooga and Austin performing together from hundreds of miles away from one another using Internet2 and a low latency audio visual streaming system. The low latency software, paired with high-speed connectivity allows musicians to collaborate despite their physical distance from one another.