Chicago CivicNet is an initiative of the City of Chicago and the Mayor's Council of Technology Advisors. CivicNet aggregates the communications requirements of the City, Chicago Public Schools, Chicago Park District, Chicago City Colleges, Chicago Housing Authority, and Chicago Transit Authority.
CivicNet positions the City's requirements as an anchor tenant for the development of a new communications infrastructure. The City intends to partner with multiple entities in the private sector to build out this infrastructure, that will be managed and operated by the City's private sector partners and marketed by them to all interested parties in the private, public, and institutional sectors.
The intent is to create a new communications infrastructure throughout the City for the Internet age, for everyone to use and to spur economic development.
The City seeks partners to build, manage, operate, and market CivicNet. The City also seeks partners to be co-tenants. Corporations, businesses, banks, universities, healthcare organizations, community technology centers, etc. that have locations throughout the City are offered the opportunity to participate in CivicNet, to procure high-speed communications at a lower cost than might now be possible.