In response to Google’s recent Fiber for Communities project, a group of entrepreneurs in Philadelphia have decided to conduct their own broadband stimulus experiment.
The Philly Startup Leaders are offering a Gigabit Genius Grant, and they plan to award $10,000 to the person who submits the best idea for using super high-speed Internet to improve their community.
According to Philly Startup Leaders founder Blake Jenelle, “Our contest is showcasing dozens of ways that ultra-fast broadband will change communities. There are projects that will change how we deliver medicine, protect neighborhoods, perform art, educate children, experience history, connect with each other and more.” The projects will be available to view on the Startup Leaders’ website.
Although recent studies have shown broadband speeds increasing worldwide, the United States lags behind other countries in broadband speed and adoption.
Both the FCC’s National Broadband Plan and Google’s Fiber for Communities project point to the importance in expanding broadband coverage in the U.S., and the Philadelphia startup community has rallied to help lead local efforts for gigabit broadband support.
The organizers believe that the Gigabit Genius Grant will serve as a grassroots effort to encourage both technological innovation and broadband implementation in the Philadelphia community. Jenelle says, “As much as we’d all like to be the first with gigabit, we know that the real future of broadband is not going to come from Google or anyone else. It’s going to come from local communities making the decision to invest in broadband ourselves. So we’re all working together to make that case.”
Deadline for submissions for the Gigabit Genius Grant is June 30, 2010. Entries received by the end of April will also be eligible for a $1,000 Popular Genius Grant.