UNM Information Technologies (IT) is one of 29 universities and communities across the country that are currently part of Gig.U, the University Community Next Generation Innovation Project. Gig.U seeks to accelerate the deployment of ultra high-speed networks to leading U.S. universities and their surrounding communities. Improvements to these networks drive economic growth and stimulate a new generation of innovations addressing critical needs, such as health care and education. As New Mexico's flagship university, utilizing Gig.U will help steer UNM's focus on research and development toward increased economic development, technological advancement and leadership, and job creation.

"As universities increasingly depend on high-speed networks to educate, collaborate and share large amounts of information, real-time research has fueled the growth of a global information economy," said Gil Gonzales, UNM's chief information officer, about the University's potential for increased development with Gig.U. "Gig.U offers a favorable climate for next generation network technology and a new generation of high-speed networking offerings."

Gig.U universities and their surrounding communities have the most favorable conditions for a market-based, ultra high-speed broadband strategy, including dense populations and high demand from institutions and residential customers. Gig.U will gather data on these specific segments with intent to inform high-speed service providers of new implementation approaches, and to enable competition to bring high-speed networks to research communities, deploying this cutting-edge networking technology to campuses and communities in a matter of years, not decades.

UNM joins such notable universities as Arizona State University, Case Western Reserve University, Colorado State University, Duke University, Michigan State University, Penn State, University of Florida, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) as well as many others in its partnership with Gig.U.

For more information visit, GiG.U.

Story by and media contact: Vanessa Baca, 277-0987; e-mail: vjbaca1@unm.edu