EPB named top municipal connectivity program
Chattanooga’s EPB has been named the top municipal utility for broadband connections in the inaugural U.S. Broadband Awards hosted by Questex’s Fierce Telecom last month.
The city-owned utility, which offers the fastest citywide fiber optic internet service in the country, was recognized as the Best Municipal Connectivity Program at Questex’s U.S. Broadband Summit, which hosted leaders from service providers, state and federal broadband offices, and trade associations.
Alejandro Piñero, head of content for Fierce Technology Group at Questex, said the winners were selected by a panel of judges from internet service providers and other companies in the broadband industry across the U.S. The
U.S. Broadband Awards announced winners from 14 categories, recognizing excellence from a competitive group of organizations, people and programs working to connect the nation through broadband services.
In 2021, an independent study documented nearly $2.7 billion in community benefit during the first 10 years of EPB’s citywide fiber optic network, and the smart grid power distribution system helped create or retain an estimated 10,000 jobs. EPB’s smart electric grid, built on the same fiber optic network, has cut outage times for electric customers by 55%, according to the study by the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
“Our continuing effort to keep Chattanooga on the cutting edge continues to evolve with the support and vision of our community’s leadership who work closely with us to explore the frontier of how we can best use fiber broadband technology to enhance quality of life in our community,” EPB President David Wade said in an announcement of the new award.