Fast networks key to new apps, says White House

14.06.2012
WASHINGTON -Fast food franchises have a larger presence in many communities than next generation, high-speed gigabit networks, a fact the White House says it's attempting to address.

Officials believe that connecting the nation's disparate and sparse high speed gigabit deployments with government help could trigger the development of new types of applications. The new applications could prove a boon to the manufacturing and medical delivery industries and even to SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence)-like efforts that rely on networked computer resources.

Thursday, White House science and technology officials to accelerate high-speed network deployments by allowing network carriers to run lines on federal property and highway rights of way.

Tom Kalil, deputy director for policy at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, said a priority of the program is to foster development of applications for advanced manufacturing that could be accessed remotely.

High speed networks can help manufacturers get access to remote modeling and simulation tools that can "dramatically reduce the time and cost associated with new products," said Kalil.

Jon Riley, executive director of design and engineering programs at the National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) in Ann Arbor, Mich., a group which is working to connect small and mid-sized manufacturers to high performance computing resources, applauded the effort, but added that for those looking to develop the new applications is the cost of software.