Cities get into the broadband business to bolster their economies

The Wall Street Journal, By Christopher Rhoads

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. Internet traffic is growing faster than at any time since the boom of the late 1990s. Places like Chattanooga are trying hard not to get stuck in the slow lane.

Some 60 towns and small cities, including Bristol, Va., Barnsville, Minn., and Sallisaw, Okla., have built state-of-the-art fiber networks, capable of speeds many times faster than most existing connections from cable and telecom companies. An additional two dozen municipalities, including Chattanooga, have launched or are considering similar initiatives.

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