Smarten Up!

Smarten Up is a guide for communities who need to understand how to take advantage of the new online economy. It provides the reader with a clearer understanding of telecommunication infrastructure, online applications, strategies for implementation, and the regulatory environment. It is a guide written in easy to understand terminology for new leaders of telecommunication or networking projects, municipal councils, stakeholders in the education and healthcare fields, economic development practitioners, libraries, social service organizations, or students of community development strategic planning. Smarten Up explains how communities can create partnerships between public and private sector organizations to improve local or regional telecommunication infrastructure, develop new online applications that can improve quality of life and create synergy between organizations, and develop a business plan for creating a smart community.