Chattanooga, TN: Billions In Benefit from Fiber

Chattanooga, Tennessee has long been seen as a shining example of what can happen if a community invests in a fiber optic network. The Electric Plant Board (EPB) of Chattanooga built a fiber-to-the-home network and began operations 10 years ago. Now, an independent study show $2.69 billion is community benefits as a result of the network's presence.

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The study was conducted by Dr. Bento Lobo, Ph.D., head of the Department of Finance and Economics at the Rollins College of Business at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Among the key community benefits identified in the study:

• Job creation and retention
• Lower unemployment rate
• Bridging the digital divide for education
• Reduced power outages
• Decreased environmental impacts
  
• Smart City research

“The true economic value of the fiber optic infrastructure for EPB’s customers is much greater than the cost of installing and maintaining the infrastructure,” Dr. Lobo said. “Our latest research findings show that Chattanooga’s fiber optic network provides additional value because it provides high speeds, with symmetrical uploads and downloads, and a high degree of network responsiveness which are necessary for the smart grid and other cutting-edge business, educational and research applications.” -- Dr. Bento Lobo, researcher

It's nice to see researchers obtain statistical evidence of something we all know intuitively - fiber optic networks create many community benefits that don't show up on utility balance sheets.