Running and screaming in Provo
A short history of iProvo, the municipal fiber project in Provo, Utah.
From Provo Mayor Lewis Billings’ speech to the American Public Power Association Oct. 11, 2004:
I believe building our community broadband network is one of the most important things I will accomplish during my tenure as mayor. I’m convinced of this because ultra-broadband connectivity will encourage and enable exciting new and innovative technology applications that will bolster our economy and change the way we work, learn, and play.
Our businesses and residents … want fully interactive, full-motion video. They want advanced telemedicine services. They want fully interactive distance learning. They want state-of-the-art video-conferencing. They want to instantaneously transfer large graphic files and photos. They want web-based home security, multi-media email, and HDTV. They want to see and chat with an elderly parent or grandparent via a video phone. They want Voice-over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephony that really works. They want to watch their children’s school productions and sports activities on a community network. Our city wants remote meter reading. We want traffic light synchronization. We want our dispatchers to use street cameras for more effective accident oversight and response. We want our Police and Fire stations to have state-of-the-art telecommunication functionality.