Red Wing, MN – HBC, among 12 service providers included as charter members in the US Ignite initiative launched in June of 2012, is poised to participate in and benefit from the effort to develop a series of ultra-high-speed networks across the United States.   One of the key Ignite strategies is the creation of network communities that will facilitate the development of applications to operate on these networks of the future.

“We at US Ignite have big plans for working with HBC,” said US Ignite principal, Bill Wallace. “We do recognize how much you have already accomplished and how much you can add to our efforts going forward.”

HBC is small compared to many of the other participants, including AT&T, Verizon, and Comcast.  Despite its size, HBC has been recognized as one of the nation’s communications innovators.  Cerner, a health and wellness software management company, named Winona its medical software test-bed in 2000 because of the existence of the HBC network, and the authors of the National Broadband Plan turned to HBC as one of its key providers of expert advice.

As a participant in US Ignite, HBC will have access to the latest in communications technological developments. Some or all of the funding for these developments will be offset by the National Science Foundation, Mozilla Foundation, Mott Foundation and other foundations.

HBC will have access to applications that benefit education, health care, security, quality of life, advanced manufacturing, job skills training, public safety, and energy management.  Synergies among the partners of US Ignite will continue making advancements that will keep HBC at the leading edge of communications.

Hiawatha Broadband Communications Inc. (HBC) is a southeastern Minnesota telecommunications service provider. The company delivers voice, video and data applications to more than 12,000 customers.

HBC’s roots are in a non-profit project begun in 1993, called Luminet. Luminet connected Winona education, healthcare and government institutions in a successful effort to extend the reach of teaching and learning. In 1997, the success of Luminet led to the creation of Hiawatha Broadband Communications, Inc. Today, HBC operates in 16 markets.  Nearly 40 percent of its stock is owned by Winona not-for-profit entities.