Wednesday, March 03, 2010

Raleigh is America's 'Most Wired City,' Charlotte is 16th

According to Forbes, Raleigh is the "Most Wired City" in America.

"Raleigh techies have new bragging rights," says the News & Observer. "The capital city took the top spot in Forbes' ranking of 'Most Wired Cities.'

The magazine looked at factors such as broadband penetration and access, and the number of public wi-fi hot spots. "Though a surprise winner, Raleigh boasts plenty of technology assets, including a high concentration of info-tech companies, research universities and state government offices," Forbes wrote.

Raleigh was No. 15 on last year's list, and this year bumped off more traditional tech hubs such as Seattle, Atlanta and Washington.

Charlotte came in at No. 16.

Said Forbes: Raleigh "is the kind of tech-forward city that, innovative as it is, often gets overlooked in favor of San Francisco, San Jose or Seattle. But this year the North Carolina capital passed its flashier rivals to grab the No. 1 spot on Forbes' Most Wired Cities list.

Raleigh's win means it ranks higher overall than any other U.S. city in three measures: broadband penetration, broadband access and plentiful wi-fi hot spots. Taken together, the factors point to a populace that readily uses high-speed Internet inside and outside the home.

At stake is more than just bragging rights. As the U.S. formulates a national broadband plan designed to connect the entire country to fast, affordable Internet, Raleigh and other top-ranking Wired Cities could serve as models for change.

Though a surprise winner, Raleigh boasts plenty of technology assets, including a high concentration of info-tech companies, research universities and state government offices.

1 comment:

Kevin Brewer said...

Here is the link to the Forbes story: http://tinyurl.com/yddk9bq

My cousin, Brooks Raiford, is quoted.

He was also student body president at a little place I call North Carolina State University.