World Teleport Association Announces Picks for Top Seven Intelligent Communities in the World

New York (August 10, 2001) - World Teleport Association (www.worldteleport.org), the world's only international trade association for teleports and their development partners, announced today its selection of the top seven intelligent communities in the world. The announcement was made by WTA's Intelligent Community Forum (www.intelligentcommunity.org), a special interest group within the association that focuses on the uses of broadband technology for economic development by communities large and small in both the developed and developing world.

The top seven communities are:
· Bario, Malaysia
· Ennis, Ireland
· LaGrange, Georgia (USA)
· Nevada, Missouri (USA)
· New York City, New York (USA)
· Singapore
· Sunderland, England

The seven communities were selected based on criteria established by WTA to measure the progress of communities worldwide in developing broadband-based economies that will prosper in the Digital Age. The criteria for selection are available at www.intelligentcommunity.org.

"The purpose of our Top Seven list and awards program is to recognize leadership in one of the most important movements of our time: the rise of the intelligent community," said WTA Executive Director Robert Bell. "We hear a lot these days about 'wired cities.' But being wired - having network infrastructure - isn't the point.

Our Top Seven intelligent communities each represent, in their own way, the best application of broadband technology for the common goal of not only creating prosperity but ensuring that it is shared at all levels of society." Bell noted that, each year, more communities and organizations worldwide view communications
bandwidth as the new, essential utility.

It is considered as vital to economic growth and public welfare as clean water and dependable electricity. Intelligent communities work to position their citizens, businesses and public sector to prosper in the Digital Age. Intelligent communities typically become broadband-enabled through either public-sector efforts or public-private partnerships, frequently involving the broadband hub facility known as a teleport.

Bell noted that the Intelligent Community Forum project (ICF) was formed in response to the opportunities being created as the world rebuilds its infrastructure to accommodate broadband communications. WTA estimates that this new vertical marketplace will spend more than $100 billion on services and equipment.
In addition to its research, advisory programs and annual awards, the ICF will recognize and certify communities as "intelligent." As WTA indicated through this year's selection, intelligent communities may be large or small, and appear in both the developed and developing world.

The full article is available at http://www.intelligentcommunity.org/art/PDFs/TopSevenIC2001.PDF