Coming this summer, students, academics, and researchers across California and around the world will be able to access Los Angeles city data and digital resources at dramatically higher speeds.
An agreement announced today by Mayor Eric Garcetti will make Los Angeles the first large municipal government to join the non-profit Corporation for Education Network Initiatives in California (CENIC). The move allows the City, at no additional cost to taxpayers, to plug into the California Research and Education Network (CalREN) — which provides a 100 Gbps internet connection to K-20 students, educators, researchers, and 10,000 member institutions, including UCLA, USC, Caltech, Cal State LA, and the Los Angeles Community College campuses. The City will connect to the CENIC network beginning this summer.
“The City of Los Angeles is already unmatched in digital transparency, but speed and accessibility are just as important in the 21st century,” said Mayor Garcetti. “This agreement means that young people, students of all ages, and some of the world’s leading thinkers and educators can now access the City’s digital resources up to 1,000 times faster. When we open our data to the public, and commit ourselves to making it more easily available, we create limitless potential for innovation, discovery, and new understanding.”
“We are excited to connect the City of Los Angeles to the CENIC network, the first of a new ‘Big Cities, Big Data’ collaboration within California. Los Angeles is among the world’s most innovative smart cities and a leader in the use of technology to address critical concerns of governance, economic development, environmental sustainability, and social justice, “ said Louis Fox, CENIC President and CEO.
CENIC’s Charter Associates are part of the world’s largest education system. They include the California K-12 system, California Community Colleges, the California State University system, California’s Public Libraries, the University of California system, and private research universities. CENIC also provides connectivity to leading-edge institutions and industry research organizations around the world. For more information, visit http://cenic.org/.