US Ignite, a new public-private national partnership will help Kettering University researchers and entrepreneurs gain access to a hyper-fast Web network.
One of the first cities to gain access to the US Ignite network is Flint, Michigan. Kettering University has been selected as one of 60 nationally respected universities to be connected in the first round.
Fastest Broadband Research Network in the World for Flint
A planning grant from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation in Flint helped kick-start the US Ignite non-profit partnership and also helped bring other national and local partners on board, to bring the technology benefits to Flint.
“[US Ignite] is a community asset. We’ll be one of only 25 cities with this technological capability. We’ll be one of the few places in the country with this next-generation technology. It will give Flint a tremendous lead to be in the first wave.” – Robert K. McMahan, Kettering President
According to Mott, the benefit to Flint is that people will be able to improve both their lives and their communities and it will enhance the work of organizations that partner with Flint, such as Kettering University. They plan to work in the areas of clean energy, advanced manufacturing, and education, and local workforce training to help people overcome barriers to entry into the labor market.
The foundation aims to eventually leverage its US Ignite investment to help open new doors to opportunity in Flint.
Merit Network, Inc., formed in 1966, bringing experience gained by managing the precursor to the modern Internet, NSFNET, has joined the US Ignite Initiative. They are helping to create a platform that will drive next-generation innovation. Merit is developing a Cyber Security Range based on Open Flow and GENI technologies. Merit Network members operate in various areas, including higher education, libraries, K-12 schools, and healthcare providers.
A press release announcing the partnership said:
The US Ignite Partnership will create a new wave of services that take advantage of state-of-the-art, programmable broadband networks running up to 100 times faster than today’s Internet. By bringing software developers and engineers from government and industry together with representatives from communities, schools, hospitals, and other institutions that will benefit from faster and more agile broadband options, the partnership aims to speed up and increase the development of applications for advanced manufacturing, medical monitoring, emergency preparedness, and a host of other services. These applications will improve services to Americans and drive job creation, promote innovation, and create new markets for American businesses.
Kettering University is nationally-ranked in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. It is a Business university combining a rigorous academic environment with rich opportunities for experiential learning and cooperative education.
Read more about Kettering University and US Ignite.
