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January 24, 2021 | Tom Ballard

Economic impact of EPB gig-speed network has been $2.69 billion in first 10 years

What has been the impact of America’s first gig-speed community-wide network that has also been used to establish the nation’s most advanced smart grid power distribution system?

The answer is in the billions, according to a recent study conducted by Bento Lobo, head of the Department of Finance and Economics at the Rollins College of Business at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

“The true economic value of the fiber optic infrastructure for EPB’s customers is much greater than the cost of installing and maintaining the infrastructure,” he said. “Our latest research findings show that Chattanooga’s fiber optic network provides additional value because it provides high speeds, with symmetrical uploads and downloads, and a high degree of network responsiveness which are necessary for the smart grid and other cutting-edge business, educational and research applications.”

As described in this news release (EPB 10-Year Impact Study), the community benefit during the first 10 years has been $2.69 billion.


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