BPJ Brokers Fiber Optic Deal for Blue Suede Network
Memphis poised to be a Top 10 city for Fiber Optic Availability thanks to Smart City Initiative
Growth. Jobs. Connectivity. Those are just three main benefits of a recent deal brokered by Burch, Porter and Johnson as we help bridge the “digital divide” in Memphis. The Smart City Initiative, strategized by BPJ and our client Blue Suede Network, could eventually bring $700 million in economic growth and 2,500 jobs to Memphis, all through fiber optic cable. Bringing more fiber optic cable to Memphis means increased access to gigabit speed-and-beyond which means businesses can compete and grow at a global scale through cloud computing, e-commerce, business to business relationships and operational efficiencies. Then there’s the impact on Memphis households. This deal brings transformative opportunities for low-income families to have access to high-speed internet for education and other purposes like home-based businesses, remote work, telemedicine and distance-learning. Before this deal, only 25% of Memphians had access to superior fiber internet. The deal helps bring Memphis out of the digital “Dark Ages”, opening the door for access to all Memphians. Next to water, gas and electricity, high-speed internet is now considered an essential utility. Post deal, Memphis will go from the 90th to Top 10 in the country for fiber availability.
A similar deal in Chattanooga laid the groundwork for how the Smart City Initiative could impact Memphis. In Chattanooga, broadband infrastructure investment yielded $2.69B in economic growth and more than 9,500 jobs. The SCI deal is only the beginning of other Smart City applications, hoping to bring greater efficiencies and ultimately position Memphis for multi-generational growth.
Nathan Bicks, David Goodman, Andy Jones and Josh Whitehead partnered with Blue Suede Network to devise the Smart City Initiative and shepherd it through the approvals process. To learn more about these attorneys, please visit: https://www.bpjlaw.com/attorneys/.
Burch, Porter & Johnson, PLLC, has been serving Memphis since 1904, providing comprehensive legal services across the city, state and region. The firm’s lawyers have created a legacy of excellence through nearly 120 years of thinking forward, by tradition.