You’ve got a gigabit network, so now what?

[Commentary] Two news headlines of note this week highlight the challenges of getting what you wish for, especially if what you wished for is a gigabit network.

From Chattanooga (TN) we learn about a contest this weekend to build a startup in 48 hours using the city’s gigabit broadband network, while over in Kansas City, soon to be home to Google’s fiber-to-the-home gigabit network, people are unsure how they want to use it. The former highlights one community that’s reached a broadband objective, the latter reflects another’s uncertainty about what its objectives are.

[Settles is a broadband industry analyst and consultant who helps organizations develop effective broadband strategies]