White House Unleashes ‘Innovation Mojo’ of Broadband Providers, developers

President Obama signed an executive order aimed at linking high-speed broadband Internet providers and application developers with communities to design and test new applications in medicine, engineering and other fields. The idea behind the U.S. Ignite program is to use the broadband communities as test beds to develop applications that eventually can be scaled nationwide.

During a launch event, researchers at Case Western Reserve University demonstrated a broadband-based simulated surgical theater, which they said could eventually be used at broadband-equipped medical schools across the country. The U.S. Ignite program is designed to “unlock the power of American innovation mojo,” federal Chief Technology Officer Todd Park said during the event. Another portion of the executive order requires federal agencies to take a uniform approach to approving broadband building projects along federal properties and roadways, which the White House said could make broadband construction up to 90 percent cheaper.