Earlier this year, the Portsmouth City Council, adopted four big new initiatives, one being that the organization would take strides to become a smart city. Implementing a fiber design master plan, Portsmouth has sent out an RFP to construct a community broadband network. The project encompasses 55 miles of state-of-the-art fiber optics that will increase internet connectivity around the city. The community broadband network will include connections to community anchor institutions such as hospitals, higher education centers, and will serve as a catalyst to narrow the digital divide.