In Reedsburg, high-speed Internet means 'gigabit' fast
2014-01-18T01:00:00Z In Reedsburg, high-speed Internet means 'gigabit' fast Wiscnews.com
The Reedsburg Utility Commission recently passed a milestone when it completed rollout of gigabit Internet service to all homes and businesses.
And while it’s a hard fact to check, city officials are pretty sure that Reedsburg is the first community in Wisconsin to claim that distinction.
“If somebody else is out there, they’re not publicizing it very much,” said Brett Schuppner, utility commission general manager.
The news places the city in a select national club, according to information from the Federal Communications Commission.
One year ago, when FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski issued the Gigabit City Challenge, which called for at least one gigabit community in all 50 states by 2015, just 42 U.S. communities could claim the distinction.
“We want more Reedsburgs,” said Maria Alvarez Stroud, director of the Madison-based Center for Community Technology Solutions.
The center is an arm of the University of Wisconsin-Extension formed to help state communities develop and expand high-speed Internet service for the betterment of residents’ lives and to boost economic development.
Alvarez Stroud said she knows of no other Wisconsin community that can make the same claim as Reedsburg, though plenty are working to catch up.
“We’re engaged with about 25 different counties at this point who are trying to figure this out,” Alvarez Stroud said.
Schuppner said the utility commission began its rollout of high-speed Internet in the 1990s and early 2000s with a limited build-out to schools.
About 10 years ago, Schuppner said, the city committed to slowly expanding its fiber-optic network to all homes and businesses.
High-speed Internet is not a technical term and is subject to interpretation by users, whose needs may vary. ‘Gigabit’ is a more precise term that describes data that moves at the rate of one billion bits per second. Translation: Very fast.
According to the FCC, a gigabit connection is about 100 times faster than an average DSL or cable connection. It means a typical movie downloads in seven seconds and 100 songs or photos in three seconds.
Jim Allen, executive director of the Sauk County Development Corp., said Reedsburg has forced other communities to play catch-up.
“It’s really, really interesting that the Reedsburg utility is the first one in the state to do this and I’m glad that they’re in my county, because maybe that will foster other changes in other parts of my county because it’s needed everywhere,” Allen said.
Once, Allen said, community leaders prided themselves for providing leading-edge Internet technology to their industrial parks.
“Well, it’s no longer just industrial parks,” Allen said. “It’s an entire community thing.”
Allen said a trend for people to work from home, whether entrepreneurs with self-created jobs or employees of large companies working away from offices, is here and growing.
“There are a lot of people out there working out of their homes, and if you don’t have that strong broadband connection it makes doing that work very hard,” Allen said.
Alvarez Stroud said communities are awakening to the need for fast Internet service. He cited Oneida County in northeast Wisconsin, which recently passed a resolution declaring the intention to develop the best high-speed Internet access of any rural Wisconsin county.
But, Alvarez Stroud said, expansion of fiber-optic networks across the state can’t happen overnight.
“I hope it won’t take a decade,” she said.
While Reedsburg’s competitive advantage might not be permanent, Kristine Koenecke, executive director of the Reedsburg Area Chamber of Commerce, is stoked about the development opportunities offered by a community she said is “second to none” when it comes to Internet technology.
“A lot of businesses that are looking for a new home are definitely putting the technology needs in their list of top three, maybe even two things they’re looking for,” Koenecke said.
Allen said the U.S. Department of Labor projects Sauk County needs to create 3,000 jobs in the next decade to keep pace with demographic trends.
“If we want to fill those 3,000 new jobs that we feel should be created in this county then we need to have this kind of technology because that’s what companies are looking for,” Allen said.
Well done, Reedsburg, Allen said.
“They saw what was needed and didn’t wait for it to catch up to them,” Allen said. “They became the leader in making that happen in this state.”
Schuppner said the city’s decision a decade ago to take responsibility for the rollout of a fiber-optic network to all addresses, including homes, instead of relying on private companies to expand service made all the difference.
“That’s what really distinguishes us compared to other telecommunication utilities,” Schuppner said.
And while it’s a hard fact to check, city officials are pretty sure that Reedsburg is the first community in Wisconsin to claim that distinction.
“If somebody else is out there, they’re not publicizing it very much,” said Brett Schuppner, utility commission general manager.
The news places the city in a select national club, according to information from the Federal Communications Commission.
One year ago, when FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski issued the Gigabit City Challenge, which called for at least one gigabit community in all 50 states by 2015, just 42 U.S. communities could claim the distinction.
“We want more Reedsburgs,” said Maria Alvarez Stroud, director of the Madison-based Center for Community Technology Solutions.
The center is an arm of the University of Wisconsin-Extension formed to help state communities develop and expand high-speed Internet service for the betterment of residents’ lives and to boost economic development.
Alvarez Stroud said she knows of no other Wisconsin community that can make the same claim as Reedsburg, though plenty are working to catch up.
“We’re engaged with about 25 different counties at this point who are trying to figure this out,” Alvarez Stroud said.
Schuppner said the utility commission began its rollout of high-speed Internet in the 1990s and early 2000s with a limited build-out to schools.
About 10 years ago, Schuppner said, the city committed to slowly expanding its fiber-optic network to all homes and businesses.
High-speed Internet is not a technical term and is subject to interpretation by users, whose needs may vary. ‘Gigabit’ is a more precise term that describes data that moves at the rate of one billion bits per second. Translation: Very fast.
According to the FCC, a gigabit connection is about 100 times faster than an average DSL or cable connection. It means a typical movie downloads in seven seconds and 100 songs or photos in three seconds.
Jim Allen, executive director of the Sauk County Development Corp., said Reedsburg has forced other communities to play catch-up.
“It’s really, really interesting that the Reedsburg utility is the first one in the state to do this and I’m glad that they’re in my county, because maybe that will foster other changes in other parts of my county because it’s needed everywhere,” Allen said.
Once, Allen said, community leaders prided themselves for providing leading-edge Internet technology to their industrial parks.
“Well, it’s no longer just industrial parks,” Allen said. “It’s an entire community thing.”
Allen said a trend for people to work from home, whether entrepreneurs with self-created jobs or employees of large companies working away from offices, is here and growing.
“There are a lot of people out there working out of their homes, and if you don’t have that strong broadband connection it makes doing that work very hard,” Allen said.
Alvarez Stroud said communities are awakening to the need for fast Internet service. He cited Oneida County in northeast Wisconsin, which recently passed a resolution declaring the intention to develop the best high-speed Internet access of any rural Wisconsin county.
But, Alvarez Stroud said, expansion of fiber-optic networks across the state can’t happen overnight.
“I hope it won’t take a decade,” she said.
While Reedsburg’s competitive advantage might not be permanent, Kristine Koenecke, executive director of the Reedsburg Area Chamber of Commerce, is stoked about the development opportunities offered by a community she said is “second to none” when it comes to Internet technology.
“A lot of businesses that are looking for a new home are definitely putting the technology needs in their list of top three, maybe even two things they’re looking for,” Koenecke said.
Allen said the U.S. Department of Labor projects Sauk County needs to create 3,000 jobs in the next decade to keep pace with demographic trends.
“If we want to fill those 3,000 new jobs that we feel should be created in this county then we need to have this kind of technology because that’s what companies are looking for,” Allen said.
Well done, Reedsburg, Allen said.
“They saw what was needed and didn’t wait for it to catch up to them,” Allen said. “They became the leader in making that happen in this state.”
Schuppner said the city’s decision a decade ago to take responsibility for the rollout of a fiber-optic network to all addresses, including homes, instead of relying on private companies to expand service made all the difference.
“That’s what really distinguishes us compared to other telecommunication utilities,” Schuppner said.
