South Australia looks at Chattanooga for high speed broadband model

Chattanooga, Tennessee, long known for the song “Chattanooga Choo Choo” is now becoming famous for its broadband.  Premier Jay Weatherill of South Australia made Chattanooga one of the high points of his trip to the United States.

Premier Weatherill looked at the current gigabit network that was supporting critical city safety functions such as police and fire communications infrastructure, equipment and applications.  He also inspected wastewater management, storm water management, traffic control and medical diagnostics applications.

Premier Weatherill commented “Chattanooga is an example of what a city can achieve if government and businesses are willing to solve problems through broadband technology.    After a history of being known for its pollution, the manufacturing city of Chattanooga has reinvented itself as a hub for high-tech and advanced manufacturing.”  He sited a Volkswagen assembly plant in Chattanooga that demonstrates this use of broadband technology.

Premier Weatherill also had the opportunity to see first-hand operations of a smart lighting and camera system that allows the police to control public lighting and see what is happening in heavy crime areas.  The use of broadband to carry the video and control signaling has contributed to making Chattanooga’s Coolidge Park a safer place to visit.

Upon seeing all of the great applications utilizing broadband, Premier Weatherill commented “I intend to build a connection between Adelaide and Chattanooga and investigate how we can learn from the city’s innovation in these areas.”

If you look closely at the utility poles in the background of this picture of the Chattanooga Choo Choo (from Wikipedia) , it looks like there are wireless broadband antennas positioned there.