US Ignite and Charter Communications' (NASDAQ:CHTR) Spectrum Enterprise business services arm have selected St. Petersburg, FL, as a Smart Gigabit Community, with the St. Petersburg Innovation District serving as the convening partner. US Ignite is a non-profit organization seeking to accelerate the smart city movement.
The Innovation District's participation in the project was made possible by a three-year grant from Spectrum. This announcement marks the beginning of a smart cities collaboration between Spectrum and St. Petersburg, as well as the first joint initiative between Spectrum and US Ignite.
"I want to thank the St. Petersburg Innovation District for working so hard to not only explore smart city technologies, but to be a leader in growing our startup ecosystem," said St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman. "I am particularly grateful to US Ignite as well as Spectrum for choosing the Innovation District as a partner for this incredible venture. As a Smart Gigabit Community, the Sunshine City will be able to provide the very best tools to entrepreneurs, helping them build great companies and create real solutions for St. Petersburg."
US Ignite launched the Smart Gigabit Communities program with the National Science Foundation in 2015, and today the project includes 27 member communities. Each participating community in the program receives access to a high-speed network with local cloud computing and storage capabilities.
As the latest addition to the Smart Gigabit Communities program, the St. Petersburg Innovation District aims to use its newfound resources to develop advanced applications and services that address local needs such as infrastructure, workforce development, public safety, education, and community health.
"Working with the city of St. Petersburg is a great opportunity for Spectrum," said Phil Meeks, executive vice president and president of Spectrum Enterprise. "We already provide extensive gigabit network infrastructure in St. Petersburg and look to also provide new and innovative connectivity options that are both key components for a smart city. Our technology expertise combined with the dedication and resources of the Innovation District can help stimulate the development of advanced applications and solutions for utilities and infrastructure, public safety and intelligent transportation."