Joel Hartman, vice provost for Information Technologies and Resources at UCF, answered that question and others during a recent lunch presentation for the Oviedo-Winter Springs Regional Chamber of Commerce.
Hartman’s presentation, “Broadband and the Innovation Economy,” began with a pragmatic definition of broadband and an explanation of why ultra high-speed broadband is important for businesses and individuals as they move into an economic environment that depends on the exchange of ideas and information to grow. When the Internet giant Google proposed to work with a community to provide industrial-size connectivity, cities across the country threw themselves into the competition, and one even changed its name.
In Florida, an ultra-high-speed research and education computer network called Florida LambdaRail connects UCF and other Florida universities, allowing researchers to send information at 10 gigabits per second — 10,000 times faster than the typical home cable modem.
UCF Community Relations works with chambers of commerce throughout the region to support relationships with the business community.