The advanced technologies that will power the US Ignite initiative have been developed through the National Science Foundation's GENI (Global Environment for Network Innovation) program and by US Ignite's commercial partners. Flexibility is provided through the use of Software Defined Networking. Speed is provided by symmetric ultra-fast connections. And "GENI Racks" power the low latency, programmable local cloud capabilities available to US Ignite applications. "The combination of these three factors changes the game for applications developers," said US Ignite Chief Technology Officer Glenn Ricart.

The US Ignite Partnership will be an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit, funded through its member organizations, and will work collaboratively with its partners to implement a multi-pronged strategy. The Partnership was formed with leadership from the National Science Foundation in response to the Administration's call to ensure all Americans have access to the information and tools necessary to thrive in a 21^st century economy.

The Partnership has already entered into agreements that will bring its efforts to 25 cities across the country, including small, medium and large municipalities. Additionally, there are over 15 commercial partners who have agreed to be part of the US Ignite Partnership, including telecommunications and network powerhouses alongside local single community efforts.

"The US Ignite test bed, together with Verizon's FiOS network, will give users in Philadelphia an altogether new ability to innovate on the fastest fiber to the home network in the United States. We welcome collaboration among users, entrepreneurs, practitioners and developers to drive the next wave of digital solutions to our most pressing societal challenges in health care, energy, education and more. Shining a bright light on the power of high-speed broadband can only result in shared experimentation and knowledge that will benefit users, the community and our country," said Kathryn Brown, Verizon's senior vice-president of Public Policy Development and Corporate Responsibility.

"We trust that as we succeed in demonstrating just how game changing the next-generation of flexible, ultra-fast networks and the applications they enable can be, hundreds of new companies and communities will join us," concluded Executive Director Spradley.