When looking to relocate or expand, businesses have very specific criteria they look for in a location. On the heels of several announcements of corporate expansions and recruitment, Martinsville-Henry County is proving to be an ideal location.
Category: Economic Development
Broadband Communities Magazine Municipal Snapshots
Look to these highly detailed articles on specific technology used in specific deployments –
and the reasons for the choices made.
Broadband as an Economic Driver
By David Salway
There is little debate that increasing broadband access spurs economic development, but can this be quantified? There have been numerous studies by economic and telecommunications analysts which study the correlation between broadband access and number of jobs created, as well as measuring the economic impact of broadband. There are multiple economic factors that could affect the results, as well many facets of providing broadband Internet access, which have the potential to significantly affect the results.
Strategies for Economic Improvement in Appalachia’s Distressed Rural Counties
This report provides an understanding of the challenges confronting economic and community development efforts in rural Appalachian communities and explains the ways local governments, agencies, and community organizations plan and respond to challenging issues. The authors of this report examined ten representative case study counties, which were selected using a number of criteria, including economic performance, location, infrastructure investment, and demographic factors.
Primer: What Fiber Broadband Can Do For Your Community
From Broadband Communities Magazine
Fiber to the home (FTTH) has become the leading technology for next-generation communications networks worldwide. On every continent, telecom providers are building fiber optic networks. They know that only FTTH can meet the growing demand for broadband services that require delivering video to (and from) multiple tablets, computers and television sets in a home, all at the same time.
The 2012 Jobs and Broadband Report
Connected Nation compiles national projections on how American businesses use computers and broadband to grow, hire, and thrive.
Promoting Digital Inclusion in the Nation’s Capital
A high-speed Internet connection and digital literacy skills can provide access to up-to-date job listings and new career paths, to specialized online classes and advanced educational content, to valuable healthcare resources and cutting-edge medical expertise. But even in the nation’s capital, there are still too many residents cut off from these opportunities because they are not online.
Playing to Win in America’s Digital Crossroads
The Mayors Bistate Innovation Team has released a playbook for capitalizing on ultra-high-speed fiber in Kansas City, Kansas, and Kansas City, Missouri.
Danville Transforms Its Economy With Fiber
An aging Virginia city is making a surprising comeback after losing its traditional economic base. An open-access municipal fiber network was an important part of the plan.
How Three Communities Built Next-Generation Networks
Frustrated by ever-increasing prices for telecommunication services and the reluctance of incumbent providers to upgrade their networks to meet 21st century needs, more than 150 communities have built their own citywide cable and FTTH networks. Against great odds and in the face of ferocious opposition by the existing telephone and cable companies in the courts, at the legislature, and in the marketplace, the vast majority have succeeded
Proving the Link Between Broadband and Economic Development
By Ken Demlow, Broadband Communities Magazine
To make a convincing case for building next-generation broadband, communities must share information about the benefits broadband delivers
Economic Impact Estimate: Professional and Technical Services Sector
The economic benefits and return on investment from driving the implementation and utilization of e-solutions are clear and compelling. SNG has calculated two scenarios with different scope for targeting the Professional & Technical Services Sector in Virginia. The ratios of economic impact to investment are quite high — over 26 times return to GDP and over 2.8 times return to taxes.
Fiber critical for growth in Dan River Region
By Tara Bozick, Go Dan River
High-speed broadband infrastructure is key to future growth for Martinsville and the region, economic development leaders say. Over the past 10 years, Martinsville expanded its Martinsville Informational Network or “MINet” to more than 20 miles of fiber optic cable throughout Martinsville and Henry County.
The Employment Effects of Advances in Internet and Wireless Technology
Continuing investments to upgrade the wireless broadband Internet infrastructure, including the transitions from 2G to 3G wireless technologies, and now from 3G to 4G, had produced cascades of innovation. Based on previous advances, the current transition to 4G technologies is likely to spur significant new job creation and growth which could help the American economy restore gains in incomes and business investment. New econometric analysis set forth in this study shows that the investments and innovation entailed in the transition from 2G to 3G wireless technologies and Internet infrastructure spurred the creation of some 1,585,000 new jobs from April 2007 to June 2011.
Wireless Broadband and Economic Growth
Darrell West, moderator, the Brookings Institute. Panelists: John Irons, Economic Policy Institute; Dean Garfield, Information Technology Industry Council; and John Mayo, McDonough School of Business, Georgetown University.