MONTGOMERY, Alabama – Officials today unveiled an initiative called the Montgomery Cyber Connection that will permit blazing-fast Internet speeds, positioning the region for growth in the technology sector and fueling economic growth.
At the heart of the initiative is what’s known as the Montgomery Internet Exchange, which will provide the physical infrastructure to link the networks of Internet service providers and content delivery services. In essence, the exchange will speed up content delivery because the material will be stored closer to home, rather than at a distant exchange.
The Montgomery Chamber of Commerce said the Internet Exchange – one of only four in the Southeast — will be located at the Retirement Systems of Alabama’s data center on Dexter Avenue.
Mayor Todd Strange said the Montgomery Cyber Connection will provide a massive economic boost to the region and the state. He compared it to the city’s most high-profile economic development project – Hyundai’s Alabama auto assembly plant, whose annual economic impact approaches an estimated $5 billion.
“We cannot overstate the significance of the Montgomery Cyber Connection to expanding industry in the River Region and putting Montgomery on the map thanks to the foresight and expertise of Dr. (David) Bronner and our military leaders and neighbors at Maxwell Air Force Base,” Mayor Strange said. “This partnership and initial investments made by the city, the county, the Chamber and several local business leaders are the first steps to unleashing a wave of economic development that may rival Hyundai.”
PARTNERSHIPS
Joining the project as a partner is Akamai Technologies, a global leader in content delivery network services, which will store servers at the RSA Datacenter.
The Chamber said Akamai chose Montgomery because of the significance of the new Cyber College at Maxwell’s Air University and because of local public and private partnerships in support of the military. Air University is the intellectual and leadership center for the U.S. Air Force. Cyber College’s mission is to strengthen national defense.
In addition, the Montgomery Cyber Connection will link Alabama’s universities for research collaboration and stimulate business development and tech startups both locally and across the state.
