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Boston eyes next-gen networks [Boston Herald](Boston Herald (MA) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Nov. 02--Boston is teaming up with more than two dozen other cities across the country to tackle one of the most complex infrastructure questions of the century: how to ensure the next-generation Internet connectivity that will be crucial for civic success. "Where we stand today does not represent a network that is going to carry us and our many industries ... into the next few decades of the century," said Jascha Franklin-Hodge, chief information officer for the city of Boston. Next Century Cities, a group of 31 cities across the country that are in the process of upgrading their internet infrastructure, is a collaborative organization that will meet regularly to discuss challenges and progress. "The goal is to help a number of cities that already have interesting initiatives have better access and collaborate and learn from each other," said Chris Mitchell, policy director for Next Century Cities. "Having them all together makes it easier." The networks of the future will need to be so-called gigabit networks, capable of speeds dramatically higher than a majority of today's networks. "Twenty years from now, people are going to need gigabit connectivity," Franklin-Hodge said. There is no specific plan in place to improve Boston's internet infrastructure, but the city is working to put one in place, he said. "We're working hard to identify what options we have, there's a sense of urgency about this," he said. "There are so many different models, and there are people trying things all over the country that may be the right fit for Boston." The Next Century Cities collaboration is intended to help guide Boston. The city has been plagued by slow internet access for years -- blamed in part on Verizon's refusal to build its FiOS network in the city as well as the infrastructure challenges that any old city faces. The problems have been especially pronounced in the Innovation District. And Boston's specialized industries require a high-quality network more than many cities, said Blair Levin, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution's Metropolitan Policy program and a former chief of staff for former FCC Chairman Reed Hundt. "Boston has enormous strength in institutions of higher education, healthcare, and finance, and technology," he said. "Those are all going to require huge bandwidth." But any network built by the city or a private company will have to take into account some unique qualities when designing its next-generation network, he said. "The great disadvantage for Boston is that it's an old city, which increases the cost of construction," he said. "The advantage that Boston has is that it has a number of institutions ... if those folks all aggregate their buying power ... they can change the economics of deployment." ___ (c)2014 the Boston Herald Visit the Boston Herald at www.bostonherald.com Distributed by MCT Information Services |