[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 16]
[Senate]
[Page 22853]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                      INTELLIGENT CITY OF THE YEAR

 Mr. CLELAND. Mr. President, I rise today to congratulate and 
acknowledge LaGrange, Georgia, which was recently named the 
``Intelligent City of the Year for 2000'' by the World Teleport 
Association. LaGrange is only the second city to win this award which 
can be awarded to any city worldwide.
  LaGrange is deserving of this award, which is in recognition of its 
``Internet For Everyone'' program to provide Internet access to every 
home in the city with cable access at no additional cost to the 
resident. In the 1990's, LaGrange officials deployed a fiber optic 
network because they recognized this infrastructure need to ensure 
their community is adequately prepared for the coming information age, 
and they saw the advantages of such an investment. This foundation led 
to the development of a two-way hybrid fiber coaxial cable network that 
supports cable modems and Internet access for the 21st Century. All the 
customer needs is a television, and the Internet is accessed through a 
set top box and wireless keyboard.
  This investment in the workforce of tomorrow is one of a kind, and 
anyone who can access the world wide web will now be a recipient of the 
knowledge and information of the citizens of LaGrange. I have pledged 
to work with them to encourage the further development of the Internet 
for the benefit of users worldwide. In fact, last month, I was in 
LaGrange to celebrate the wiring of the city's government housing 
community. At this event, I was pleased with the amount of knowledge 
the children already have about the web, its uses, and the potential it 
brings. They are our future, and they are the people who will benefit 
the most from LaGrange's farsightedness.
  As Congress looks for ways to bridge the digital divide, I would like 
to make an example of LaGrange, Georgia, the Intelligent City of the 
Year for 2000. There are many options available for communities around 
the country. Once we are connected we will truly be able to learn more 
from one another about ourselves, our communities, our country, and our 
world.
  Again, I congratulate the city of LaGrange, Georgia and Mayor Jeff 
Lukken, and I hope that the children and families of LaGrange will take 
full advantage of this great opportunity.

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