Bristol Virginia Named To Prestigious “Smart 21″ List for Second Consecutive Year
BRISTOL, Va. – For the second year in a row, Bristol Virginia has been recognized as one of the 21 most intelligent communities in the world for its expansive use of broadband to improve quality of life and economic opportunities in the city and across Southwest Virginia.
Known as “Smart21,” the honor is the first phase for cities vying for the 2010 Intelligent Community of the Year award, a competition sponsored by the New York City-based Intelligent Community Forum (ICF). The ICF receives hundreds of applications annually from communities large and small, urban and rural, and from both industrialized and developing nations who have ventured into the world of fiber-optic broadband.
The top 21 communities for 2010 were named in New York City on Oct. 16 at the residence of the Consulate General of Sweden, who was representing the City of Stockholm – the 2009 Intelligent Community of the Year winner. The semi-finalists are chosen based on a number of “intelligent community indicators,” including broadband connectivity, knowledge workforce, innovation, digital inclusion and marketing and advocacy.
“We are pleased to have once again risen to the top in this impressive competition,” says Bristol Virginia Mayor Jim Rector. “Our leaders have gained a great deal of information by going through this process and having the opportunity to review what other communities around the world have done to integrate broadband into their local economies and improve the quality of life for their citizens. We believe we are doing much of the same for the people and businesses in our region. It is truly an extraordinary opportunity.”
Bristol Virginia made an impressive showing in 2009 as the only American city to survive to the final round of Top Seven Intelligent Communities of the Year. “We’re not resting on our laurels from last year’s award,” says BVU Board Chairman Paul Hurley. “With the recent formation of our Community Broadband Integration Team to find new applications for our broadband service, we’re looking to continue providing the people of Bristol and our region with every opportunity to improve their quality of life.”
The competition is carried out in three phases. Early in 2010, the ICF will narrow the list of 21 global semi-finalists to seven at the Pacific Telecommunications Council conference. The ICF will then announce an overall winner in May at its annual summit held in New York City.
In 2003, BVU OptiNet was the nation’s first municipal utility to launch a fiber-to-the-premise (FTTP) broadband network offering voice, cable and data services.
The Smart21 of 2010
The Smart21 list of 2010 includes communities from 13 nations and from every continent except Africa.
- Arlington County, Virginia USA; population: 210,000
- Ballarat, Australia; population: 88,000
- Besancon, France; population: 122,000
- Bristol, Virginia, USA; population: 17,590
- Dakota County, Minnesota, USA; population: 398,500
- Danville, Virginia, USA; population: 42,000
- Dublin, Ohio, USA; population: 40,000
- Dundee, Scotland; population: 142,000
- Eindhoven, The Netherlands; population: 733,000
- Gold Coast City, Queensland, Australia; population: 500,000
- Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada; population: 65,000
- Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; population: 1,148,000
- Porto Alegre, Brazil; population: 1,416,000
- Riverside, California, USA; population: 296,800
- Suwon, Korea; population: 52,000
- Tallinn, Estonia; population: 404,000
- Taoyuan County, Taiwan; population: 1,970,000
- Tel Aviv, Israel; population: 391,300
- Tianjin Binhai, China; population: 2,020,000
- Trikala,
More about Bristol Virginia and BVU honorsBristol Virginia and BVU have received a number of other prestigious awards in recent years. These include the 2009 Community Broadband Fiber Network of the Year Award from the National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors; 2009 Smart21 and Top Seven awards from the Intelligent Community Forum; 2008 Gold Award for Municipal Excellence from the National League of Cities ; Governor’s Technology Award (2008) from Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine; Cornerstone Award for Outstanding Customer Service (2007) from Broadband Properties Magazine; Smart Community Award (2008) from Last Mile magazine; and the American Public Power Association Community Service Award (2008).
About ICF
The Intelligent Community Forum (www.intelligentcommunity.org) is a think tank that studies the economic and social development of the 21st century community. Whether in industrial or developing nations, communities are challenged to create prosperity, stability and cultural meaning in a world where jobs, investment and progress increasingly depend on broadband communications. The Intelligent Community Forum seeks to share the secrets of success of the world’s intelligent communities in adapting to the demands of the broadband economy by conducting research, hosting events, publishing newsletters and producing an international awards program.
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