Chattanooga Creates Contest for App Developers

Alcatel-Lucent is investing $100,000 in a Chattanooga-based initiative to foster the development of gigabit per second Internet applications and business ventures.?

“Last year, Chattanooga became America’s first and only city to complete a community-wide network capable of delivering up to 1 gigabit per second Internet speeds to every home and business in EPB’s 600-square-mile service area,” said Robert Vrij, president of Alcatel-Lucent’s Americas Region. “We’re proud to partner with Chattanooga as this extraordinary city establishes a groundbreaking model for demonstrating the direct linkage between investment in telecommunications infrastructure and economic growth.”?

Vrij made his announcement as part of his keynote address during the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce’s Spirit of Innovation luncheon where community leaders announced an initiative to position Chattanooga as the Gig City and unveiled the Gig Prize, a competition in which students and entrepreneurs will create and test next generation Internet applications and launch businesses using Chattanooga’s Internet.?

Additional information about the Gig Prize will be released in coming weeks. Interested students and entrepreneurs can learn more at www.chattanoogagig.com where challenge rules and details will be available soon. (For more, see Chattanooga Rocks When It Comes to Broadband).