Alan Fitzpatrick - Making Charlotte the Crown Jewel of Gigabit Internet Cities - GCS16

1. City Spotlight: Charlotte
Community focus on making Charlotte
the Crown Jewel of Gigabit Internet cities.

2. Terry Cox, President and CEO
Business Innovation and Growth (BIG).
Alan Fitzpatrick, COO
DC74 Data Centers, Entrepreneur
Charlotte Hearts Gigabit
2014
Feb 19: Google Fiber
names Charlotte as
potential build.
March 1: Terry writes
Op_Ed
March 3: Alan creates
website

3. Charlotte Hearts Gigabit
A grassroots team of
entrepreneurs and
techies.
Our mission is to
educate and advocate
for ultra high speed
internet and digital
transformation.
@CltHeartsGb
CharlotteHeartsGigabit.comPhoto taken April 29, 2014.

4. CharlotteHeartsGigabit.com
Educate
Evangelize
Excite
Experience

5. Jan 13 - Chamber of Commerce Ballantyne Chapter Luncheon.
Jan 29 - Gigabit Lunch 'n Learn at Harris Teeter HQ.
Feb 3 - Gigabit presentation at the PMI Metrolina meeting.
Feb 12 - Gigabit presentation to the Charlotte Area Consultants.
Feb 24 - Gigabit presentation to the Association of IT Professionals.
March 18 - Best Minds City Jam Charlotte.
April 5 - Gigabit Cities Live in Charlotte!
May 11: Matthews Chamber of Commerce monthly lunch meeting
May 16-18: Gigabit City Summit in Kansas City.

7. Gig WOW Experience – Sept 2015
• Keynote speaker: Jeff Stovall - CIO City
of Charlotte
• Updates from Google Fiber, AT&T, TWC
• Panel Discussion
• Gigabit Demonstrations
• Hands-on experience

8. Gig WOW Experience

9. Gaston County

10. Gigabit - Why do we care?

11. Jan 13, 2015...Charlotte was in the Audience

12. Life changed on January 27, 2015

13. Charlotte ISP Announcements

14. Charlotte Google Fiber Build
June 23, 2015

15. Google Fiber Hut in Charlotte

16. AT&T GigaPower Speedtest in Charlotte
June 2015

17. Digital Inclusion Committee
Kickoff meeting 2/18/15
Full time PM
http://DigitalCharlotte.org
@digCLT

21. Lift Up Citizen Voices
“The nonprofit Charlotte Hearts Gigabit
has played an important role in helping
make Charlotte’s broadband ambitions
come to fruition.”
http://www.bbcmag.com/2015mags/Aug_Sep/BBC_Aug15_CharlottesFiberWeb.pdf
http://nextcenturycities.org/connecting-21st-century-communities-a-policy-agenda-for-broadband-stakeholders/

22. Reception of
Incumbent
ISPs
Cities
Entrepreneurs
Techies
Consumers
Chamber
Tech Assoc.
Google
Fiber
HesitantConfused Supportive,
but own agenda
Very Supportive
by the Community

23. Lessons Learned
1. Most people don’t know what Gigabit is
2. Even techies may not get it
3. Let people put their hands on it
4. Share a vision of what’s possible
5. Be inclusive

24. Smart City

25. Unbounded Opportunity
“No one knows definitively how Gigabit
Fiber will lead to changes in Charlotte. But
one thing we can say definitively: It is
going to be exciting!”
- Jeff Stovall, CIO City of Charlotte

26. Community focus on making Charlotte
the Crown Jewel of Gigabit Internet cities.
CharlotteHeartsGigabit.com @CltHeartsGb