Gigabit Squared

Gigabit Squared, LLC was a digital economic development corporation that specialized in the planning, implementation and rollout of communications infrastructure. Unlike incumbent telecommunications providers in the United States, who typically own and operate networks in addition to providing wholesale and retail Internet access services, Gigabit Squared designed and built networks, but does not always finance, operate and maintain those networks.[1]

Gigabit Squared
Formation2010
Dissolved2014
PurposeInternet Access
Region served
United States
Websitegigabitsquared.com

Programs

Based near Cleveland, Ohio, the company was founded in October 2010.[2] In May 2012, Gigabit Squared raised $200 million in venture funding to fund high-speed Internet access projects in the United States.[3] The founders include Mark Ansboury, president, and Robert Jennings, executive vice president. Armando Stettner joined in January 2013 as vice president of architecture and technology but left before year-end when it became apparent funding plans had fallen through. The University Community Next Generation Innovation Project (Gig.U), a coalition of 30 universities headed by Blair Levin, helped select the projects. Announced in May 2012, the Gigabit Neighborhood Gateway Program intends to bring gigabit-per-second Internet access to up to six university communities in the United States.[4] The project is open to university communities, who needed to apply to the project. Instead of committing funds to a project, communities were asked to commit to help lower costs of deployment and smooth regulatory barriers to deploying a network.[1] This is similar to the agreement Google Fiber struck with Kansas City, Kansas and Kansas City, Missouri.[5]

In October 2012, the University of Chicago, in partnership with the State of Illinois and the City of Chicago, announced the Gigabit Chicago project with Gigabit Squared to bring gigabit-speed fiber to over 4,825 residents, businesses, schools and healthcare institutions in the Chicago’s Mid-South Side neighborhoods.[6]

The state awarded $2 million to Gigabit Squared as part of the Illinois Gigabit Communities Challenge. The University of Chicago has committed $2 million, and Gigabit Squared $5 million for Gigabit Chicago.[7] Gigabit squared entered into an agreement with the City of Chicago, and also obtained a $2 million grant. However, this project is running into problems, according to the David Roeder, spokesman for the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, Gigabit Squared "has repeatedly lied" about its intentions.[8]

Announced December 13, 2012, Gigabit Seattle is a fiber-to-the-home / fiber-to-the-business network being deployed in Seattle, Washington.[9][10] The network comes out of a partnership between the City of Seattle, the University of Washington and Gigabit Squared.[11] In January 2014, the partnership with Seattle was declared dead by new mayor Ed Murray, who noted that the company had not raised sufficient money and owed the city over $50,000 in unpaid bills.[12]

References
  1. Higginbotham, Stacey (23 May 2012). "Meet the startup that wants to speed up U.S. broadband". GigaOm. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  2. Suttell, Scott (23 May 2011). "Cleveland Heights startup part of $200 million gigabit broadband effort". Cleveland Business. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  3. Gross, Grant (23 May 2013). "Groups launch gigabit-per-second broadband project". Computerworld. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  4. Markoff, John (22 May 2012). "Partnership to Bring Ultrahigh-Speed Internet to Six Communities". The New York Times. Retrieved 6 February 2013.
  5. Ackerman, Elise. "How Kansas Won the Google Fiber Jackpot And Why California Never Will". Forbes. Retrieved 6 February 2013.
  6. Pletz, John (16 October 2012). "State, U of C plan broadband push for South Side". Crain's Chicago Business. Retrieved 6 February 2013.
  7. "Governor Quinn Announces First Winner of Illinois Gigabit Communities Challenge". Press release. State of Illinois. 16 October 2012. Archived from the original on 15 May 2013. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  8. "State Wants Gigabit Squared to return $2 million grant". News Article. Chicago Sun-Times. 27 March 2014. Retrieved 27 March 2014.
  9. Rigg, Jamie. "Gigabit Squared heading high-speed fiber and wireless internet initiative in Seattle". Engadget. Retrieved 6 February 2013.
  10. Susan Crawford; et al. (2014), Community Fiber in Washington, D.C., Seattle, WA, and San Francisco, CA: Developments and Lessons Learned, Berkman Center Research Publication, SSRN 2439429 – via Social Science Research Network
  11. "Gigabit Seattle". www.seattle.gov. Archived from the original on 4 February 2013. Retrieved 6 February 2013.
  12. "Seattle's fiber-network deal with Gigabit Squared is dead". Puget Sound Business Journal. 7 January 2014.
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