Dr. Stephen Hannon leads Gigabit charge in Gaston Co.
Leaders in Gaston County, NC have seen a glimpse of the future for what Gigabit Internet can mean for a community. The county recently commissioned Dr. Stephen Hannon to head a steering committee to explore how best to attract ISPs to build a Gigabit infrastructure. Modeled after Charlotte Hearts Gigabit, the Gaston Gigabit effort has brought together the business, government, entrepreneurship, and technology leaders to drive the initiative.
Gastonia East Rotary meeting June 1, 2015.
The effort kicked off at the Gastonia East Rotary meeting on June 1, 2015. Dr. Hannon presented the Gigabit opportunity to a packed room, followed by Alan Fitzpatrick’s presentation on ‘What Could Gigabit Internet Mean for Gaston County’ (view the presentation here). It was great to see such enthusiastic support from the business leaders in the community!
Residents of Gaston County are encouraged to utilize the resources on GastonGigabit.com to stay up to speed with news, a schedule of events, resource links, and updates on developments. The webpage lists the Gigabit advocates engaged in the effort and includes pictures from some of the events. Most important, the site contains a Sign Up form to express your interest in getting Gigabit to Gaston County. The more ‘demand’ that can be substantiated, the more attractive it will be for ISPs to build the infrastructure. Please encourage everyone you know in Gaston County to consider signing up to show their support.
Gaston Gigabit Steering Committee meeting June 25, 2015.
The Rotary meeting was followed by the first Steering Committee meeting on June 25, 2015. The Hannons graciously hosted the first meeting at the Hannon Orthodontics office in Gastonia. The meeting focused on Gigabit Education, Evangelism, and generating Excitement. A good first step is to educate all parties (businesses, local colleges/universities, non-profit organizations/foundations, local elected officials and the general public) on the benefits of Gigabit Internet with demos and tangible examples they can understand and embrace. The team is exploring how best to begin this process, so stay tuned for information and progress on these efforts. How do you stay informed? By subscribing to the Gaston Gigabit mailing list!