First Gig City in Ohio Brings the Best of Both (fiber & wireless) Worlds

With all the hype about fiber, we sometimes forget wireless still has an important role to play. Fairlawn, Ohio supports over 22,000 people every day in addition to its 7,400 residents, so they had to have guaranteed super-fast, reliable and flexible Internet access. Their infrastructure solution made them one of the highlights of the recent Broadband Communities Summit.

Ernie Staten, Dep. Director of Fairlawn’s Public Service Department, and Mitch Drake, Fujitsu Network Communications’ Executive Engagement Leader, throw back some covers and show off best practices that made their network leading edge. Fujitsu is the lead private sector partner in this public-private partnership.

Fairlawn set an ambitious agenda to meet a number of goals including:

• promote commercial and residential growth;
• stimulate economic development in the City;
• provide a carrier-grade wireless network;
• draw in entrepreneurs and high tech ventures; and
• improve City services and public safety communications.