Chattanooga, Tenn., Makes Economic Case for Municipal Broadband [Government Technology]
Feb. 5—The economic impact of broadband has been debated by researchers, who haven’t always confirmed the conventional wisdom that high-speed Internet access leads to a significant return on investment. A key lesson from recent evidence is that broadband can have differential effects on the economy depending on the local or state context.
But for Chattanooga, Tenn., the relationship between its broadband utility and the economy is clearer than ever. According to a 10-year study conducted by economist Bento Lobo, Chattanooga’s fiber system has led to $2.69 billion in economic benefits and accounts for about 40 percent of all jobs created in Hamilton County over the last decade.