Building a connected community takes more than laying fiber.
For Georgia Cities, connectivity increasingly supports economic development, public safety, infrastructure, utilities, and the everyday services residents rely on. But putting that connectivity to work can require funding, data, technical expertise and partnerships that may not exist within every city hall.
That was a central message of the seventh annual Georgia Broadband Summit, hosted by the Georgia Municipal Association (GMA) on Sep. 16 at the Oconee Fall Line Technical College in Dublin. Under the theme, “The Future of Connected Communities in Georgia,” the summit brought together city and county officials, state leaders, community organizations, and industry representatives.
“We don’t have to do this alone. In fact, we must partner with others, and that’s where the resources are available,” said GMA CEO and Executive Director Larry Hanson.
Those resources were on display throughout the summit, with sessions exploring economic development, broadband deployment, Next Generation 911, artificial intelligence, and GIS-powered infrastructure and utilities.
Connecting Cities with Resources
For local governments still working to close gaps in broadband availability, the summit highlighted a continuing role for cities and counties in Georgia’s broadband deployment efforts.
The Georgia Technology Authority’s State Broadband Office provided an update on the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment, or BEAD, program, including a supplemental process for identifying remaining unserved locations. Presenters encouraged local officials to review locations in their communities and work with providers, nonprofits and local staff to gather information when needed.
Next Generation 911 was also a key focus of the discussions. Local address points, roads and service boundaries help determine where a 911 call goes and which responders are sent to help. Summit presenters encouraged local governments to treat that mapped information as public-safety infrastructure and highlighted resources available to help communities strengthen their data.
Those resources include Georgia’s NG911 Data Hub, statewide address and road data programs, NG911 data standards and statewide imagery available to local governments.
Putting Connectivity to Work
The summit challenged attendees to think beyond connectivity itself. Broadband allows information to move, but tools such as GIS can help local governments turn that information into action.
Georgia Geospatial Information Officer Susan Miller discussed how mapping can connect information about roads, utilities, buildings, services and people, giving local leaders a more complete picture of their communities. “Connectivity brings kind of a superhighway for moving data and information around,” Miller said. “But if that data isn’t organized and analyzed and visualized, it’s kind of chaos.”
Mapping developed for NG911, for example, can also support public works, utilities, planning and development, emergency management and economic development.
Industry experts reinforced that cities do not have to develop every capability internally. Jason Fuller, Engineering Account Director at CHR Solutions, Inc., encouraged local officials to “search out a good partner or partners” and seek guidance from those with experience. “Don’t be afraid to just pick up the phone and call. No question is a dumb question,” Fuller said.
For Hahira Councilmember Louise White, those connections were one of the summit’s most valuable takeaways. “Now we have the resource to go and call other people and say, ‘Hey, what are you all doing for resources for broadband?’” White said. “Communication is great.”
Building Connected Communities Together
The summit reinforced that building a connected community is about more than broadband access. It requires infrastructure, information and partnerships working together to strengthen local services.
For cities, getting there does not mean building every capability alone. It can begin with identifying a need, knowing which resources are available and connecting with partners who can help move the community forward.
“That’s the value of these types of meetings,” Hanson said. “We bring everyone together, we build relationships, and we accomplish goals by working in partnership.”