PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — Council is moving forward with a plan to make Portsmouth a smart city.

The city says a fiber design master plan was implemented earlier in the year, calling for a community broadband network. 

The project would encompass 55 miles of state-of-the-art fiber optics. City leaders are working with two firms to create a Citizen Connectivity Study, which would focus on using Portsmouth’s planned network for multiple uses:

  • As a platform for digital inclusion initiatives
  • A driver for economic development
  • For support of efficient municipal operations
  • To increase the area’s quality of life