(June 13, 2023 - New York City) – The Intelligent Community Forum (ICF) today published its latest report, Building Success for Your Municipal Network, which outlines a set of principles that lead to successful construction, service adoption and financial viability for municipal broadband networks. Illustrated with case studies that show the principles in action, the report is based on the experience of ICF and the people of Lit Communities, a company that develops networks for municipalities and counties through creative public-private partnerships that share risk and ensure that the needs of the community’s people come first.

With billions in public money becoming available for broadband investment, communities around the world see an opportunity to build a better future full of employment gains, business growth and educational access for all. A successful network provides high-quality, reliable service to places in the community that need it most and at a price that residents and organizations can afford. So, how do you make it happen?

Building Success for Your Municipal Network serves as a step-by-step guide through 7 principles proven to lead to success. They are designed to teach communities what they need to know to take action and build their own networks today.

“Lit Communities first came to ICF’s attention last year,” said report author and ICF co-founder Robert Bell. “It’s a unique network company because their model is to create public-private partnerships with communities so that risks and rewards are shared, and then to bring their substantial experience in deployment and operation to ensure the network’s success. It’s a model we would like to see a lot more of, because it delivers the best of public and private for the good of the community.

Building Success for Your Municipal Network is available free on ICF’s website. Click here to get the report.

About the Intelligent Community Forum
Starting in 2000 with a research project comparing cities in various nations, the Intelligent Community Forum (www.intelligentcommunity.org) created a unique, data-driven approach to development that puts citizens first while tapping the enormous economic and social potential of technology. In a world dominated by digital, ICF’s mission is to help communities create innovative, sustainable and growing economies, inclusive societies and affirming cultures open to the world. We do it for communities large and small, in urban clusters and outlying suburbs and rural places through training, consulting, assessment, certification and award programs. ICF believes that digital connectivity and technology create the opportunity for almost every community to develop a dynamic local economy and the social and cultural strengths that go with it – giving them all a chance to be great places to live, work, learn, grow, raise a family and prepare a sustainable path for the next generation.

The Forum sponsors Institutes in North America and Taiwan dedicated to the study of the movement, and national organizations in Canada and Taiwan, both home to many Intelligent Communities. In 2012 ICF was invited to participate at the Nobel Peace Prize conference in Oslo and in 2014, its model and work were recognized by the U.S. Department of Commerce under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, which, according to the American government, was “aimed at creating a more flexible and responsive system of workforce development to meet the needs of employers looking to fill 21st century jobs.”

For more information, go to www.intelligentcommunity.org/icf_membership. For more details on the Intelligent Community Forum’s recent publications and programs, www.intelligentcommunity.org.

Intelligent Community Forum Contacts
Matthew Owen, Director of Operations, Intelligent Community Forum
Phone: +1 646-291-6166 (x105)
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @Newcommunities

Victoria Krisman, Communications Manager, Intelligent Community Forum
Email: [email protected]