Publicly owned internet network boosts Chattanooga economy
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The public power utility EPB transformed Chattanooga, Tennessee, into a digital hub by building a municipally owned fiber-optic internet network.
The city began this project as part of a plan to create a smart electrical grid. EPB realized it could use the same fiber-optic cables to provide high-speed internet to residents and businesses. The utility spent 220 million dollars to complete the project in two years.
By 2010, Chattanooga became the first city in the United States to offer one gigabit per second fiber optic internet. The network has generated billions of dollars in economic benefits and created over 10,000 jobs for the city. It attracted hundreds of startups and provided the largest source of funding for local public schools.
EPB currently offers some of the lowest prices per megabit in the country and recently became the first provider in the nation to connect its fiber to a quantum computer. The utility also launched a program called EdConnect to provide free internet to families with children receiving free or reduced lunches. While many other cities face legal and political hurdles from private cable companies, Chattanooga serves as a model for public broadband.
Some regions, such as Utah and Colorado, have successfully built their own municipal networks despite opposition. Critics and local officials note that while the project is difficult to replicate due to state laws, the Chattanooga model shows how public ownership can provide faster, more affordable service than private monopolies.
