Alpharetta, Georgia, a northern suburb of Atlanta, holds high potential for becoming the Technology City of the Southeast. Recently, the Alpharetta Technology Commission analyzed the city’s existing infrastructure, learning its strengths and weaknesses, to gauge what needs to be done in order to keep Alpharetta on the path to becoming the Tech City of the Southeast.
Peter Tokar III, the city’s Economic Development director, reported that the Build committee took a look at the public infrastructure in Alpharetta at the end of February. Tokar mentioned that a major strength the city has going for it is the fiber optic network running through major corridors. Fiber optic networks are great for obtaining optimal connectivity because fiber optic cables can support up to 10 GigE Ethernet connections.
Despite the city’s vast fiber optic network, the age of the fiber and other equipment may hinder the city’s ability to become the Tech City of the Southeast. In addition, the wireless broadband cell coverage is not comprehensive. The Internet connectivity being provided to businesses and residents is top quality, but this same level isn’t provided to all residents.
The Alpharetta Technology Commission committee is currently taking a look at close by cities, like Chattanooga, Tennessee, that are already implementing the latest technologies. Chattanooga has gigabit Internet service that is roughly 100 times faster than most people’s Internet Service in the United States.
At GeoTel Communications, our fiber network maps and fiber optic network maps integrate telecom infrastructure data with geospatial technologies so that cities like Alpharetta can analyze fiber network assets in a spatial, map-like environment and make decisions about their city’s connectivity. To order any of GeoTel’s data sets for a particular city or metro area, give GeoTel Communications a call at (800) 277-2172.
