United States Connected Communities Association Launches at CES
USCCA to Promote Communications Assets to the Fifth Utility
January 6, 2006, Las Vegas NV
Numerous communities, industry leaders, and communications leaders joined together in Las Vegas today at the 2006 International Consumer Electronics show to announce the formation of the United States Connected Communities Association (USCCA).
Said W. James Hettrick, Chairman of the USCCA and Director of Information Systems for the award-winning City of Loma Linda, California, “Communities have existed too long without referential models that promote communications infrastructure as a city’s fifth utility. Internet access isn’t just for a privileged class of broadband users. Instead, broadband Internet access has become the blood stream where we learn, do business, entertain ourselves and become stronger communities.
“We’ve formed the USCCA based on the idea that we make cities stronger through the use of broadband infrastructure. This means high speed, usually fiber optic connectivity for new construction, and astute and understandable retrofit, ensuring universal and ubiquitous access for all citizens. These capabilities come as public, public-private, and re-thinking of in-place community communications assets.
“In the real world, organizations use GIS to identify where and how to place their businesses on street corners, shopping malls, and other places where they’re going to be able to do business. We propose that communities identify their communications assets, so that an interest company or corporation of any size can know they have the connectivity they need through out the community. In addition a virtual Starbucks or Bed, Bath, and Beyond can know where their Internet businesses will work.
“The same modeling helps libraries know where to put assets. Schools can increase the involvement of their students by providing true web-focused educational applications. Entertainment providers can know which systems will support IPTV, Video-on-Demand, and other “-casted” venues.
“And communities can benefit dramatically by having a referential and highly available infrastructure for public safety and utility use. Public safety officers can find data, fire and emergency response personnel can find information they need to do their important jobs, and communities can build online resources together. Craigslist and others have learned the lessons of community-based networking, and now Comcast, Time Warner/Brighthouse, and numerous others are starting to brand their local, community networks with community-applications and advertising. More will come.
“Our mission statement is clear:
- To envision and deploy communications capabilities to meet the future needs of communities through the promotion of communications infrastructure as a mandated community utility as the recognized fifth utility.
- To bring communities of citizens, business, and NGOs, best of class standardized communications infrastructure that will meet the needs of future generations.
- To provide public-private partnerships that bring cost-effective and high value capital and communications assets to participating communities.
- To help foster, design, document and promulgate residential, commercial, and civic communications infrastructure standards and regional classification.
- To help foster and educate communities regarding business models and best practices for Connected Community Members.
- To bring together interested communities, governmental organizations, and the ecosystems of communications in dialog, education, and the advancement of communications technologies for communities.
“Through these actions, we’ll make US communities ready for next-generation Internet and communications use, and for generations to come.”
The USCCA was formed in October, 2005, by W James Hettrick and Tom Henderson, and has offices in Washington DC. Its goals are to have 200+ community and community IT leaders and 100+ industry members by the end of 2006.
For further information:
Online:
www.us-cca.org
Email:
info@us-cca.org
Mail:
1901 Pennsylvania Avenue NW,
Fifth Floor,
Washington, DC 20006 USA
Leadership Contacts :
W. James Hettrick
Chairman
Phone: 1 909 838 8395
Email: jhettrick@us-cca.org
Tom Henderson
Executive Director and Vice-Chairman
Phone: 1 317 250 4646
Email: thenderson@us-cca.org
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