CenturyLink, Comcast, Cisco consider involvement in Gig.U broadband project

A number of U.S.-based incumbent telcos, cable operators and vendors, including the likes of CenturyLink (NYSE: CTL), Comcast (Nasdaq: CMCSA) and Cisco (Nasdaq: CSCO), are thinking about bringing their expertise to a new project called Gig.U, which aims to enhance broadband availability in over 30 college towns.

Developed by Blair Levin, one of the architects of the FCC's National Broadband Plan, the Gig.U project is focused on bringing Gigabit speed broadband to an estimated million potential users that live near college campuses such as California Institute of Technology, University of Illinois and Duke University.

Speaking to a group of 50 service providers and vendors during a meeting in Chicago this week, Levin said that driving collaboration with universities can "reduce the cost of deployment" of broadband.

Also in attendance at the meeting were Time Warner Cable (NYSE: TWC), Charter Communications (Nasdaq: CHTR), Cox Communications, Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ), Juniper Networks (NYSE: JNPR), and Level 3 Communications (Nasdaq: LVLT).

Gig.U has asked any company interested in participating in the project to submit preliminary responses by the middle of November. After vendor selections are made next year, the organization said it will begin building the network by the end of 2012.

For more:
- Business Week has this article

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