The winning cities also include Bagalore, India; Calgary, Canada; Seoul, Korea; Singapore; Sunderland, England and the Florida High Tech Corridor Council, USA.
All seven on the list are candidates for the "Intelligent Community of the Year" award, which will be announced in October in Moscow, Russia. LaGrange was named the "Intelligent Community of the Year" in 2000.
The ICF focuses on the use of broadband technology for economic development by communities large and small in both the developed and developing world. "Intelligent Community" honorees are selected based on their progress in developing broadband-based economies that will prosper in the Digital Age.
City officials said the ICF honored LaGrange as a world leader in broadband technology and economic development for:
- Its three advanced broadband Internet networks, which have the ability to serve all of the city's businesses, schools and residents;
- Its innovative partnerships with private companies such as ITC Holding Co. and Charter Communications, Inc.; and
- Its enterprise-based government structure, which levies no local taxes but, instead, generates revenues by delivering services including electricity, water, sewer and telecommunications. The ICF noted that the city's broadband network operations generate more than $1 million in revenue for the city treasury each year.
"We are gratified to be recognized in a global competition as one of the world's most progressive cities in broadband development," said Jeff Lukken, mayor of LaGrange. "We are positioned to serve all of our residents and businesses in the Digital Age as well as to meet the advanced telecom needs of information and technology companies."
LaGrange, population 26,000, has received international recognition for its efforts to offer free Internet access to its citizens via cable television. The city was recently named a finalist in the "Innovations in American Government" awards program sponsored by the JFK School of Government at Harvard University.
"Our Top Seven intelligent communities each represent, in their own way, the best application of broadband technology for the common goal of not only creating prosperity but also of ensuring that it is shared at all levels of society," said Says John Jung, chairman of the ICF. "Today, more communities and organizations worldwide view communications bandwidth as the new, essential utility."
Office of Mayor Jeff Lukken
