By Dean Whittaker

Broadband service can be described as high speed when it is 1 gigabit per second or more. As more of us move our operations to the “cloud.” Internet Services and connectivity has become mission critical. We now use the cloud to store our documents, to access software such as word processing, spreadsheet, and database software as a service know as (SaaS). Our firm provides our clients with access to subscriptions of limited edition specialized services through the Internet using a lead tracking software that we developed.

Any information based business depends on connectivity. The faster speed can provide a competitive advantage in a global marketplace. Broadband can also level the playing field for rural areas by eliminating or reducing the barriers of distance and time.

For companies like ours and others that deal with data and information, high-speed broadband services are becoming critical. When we increased our Internet speed for 12 megabits per second to 60 megabits per second it allowed us to complete our research assignments in 40% less time. Just image what would happen if we went from 60 megabits to 10 gigabits (10,000 megabits per second) as is now being offered in Minneapolis.

Later this month, on January 22, 2015 at 2:00 pm ET we will be hosting a webinar with a panel of economic developers to explore their experience with high speed Broadband Internet Services and how they are using it for both business retention and business attraction. These future focused communities are creating the necessary infrastructure for their future. High-speed broadband services and the impact it is having on their economic development efforts are at the early stages of development.