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Published Thu, Mar 04, 2010 05:13 AM
Modified Thu, Mar 04, 2010 12:13 AM

Raleigh is ranked No. 1 wired city in nation

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Source: Forbes magazine

Raleigh techies have new bragging rights: The Capital City took the top spot in Forbes' ranking of "Most Wired Cities."

The magazine looked at factors such as broadband penetration and access, and the number of publicWi-Fi hot spots.

"Though a surprise winner, Raleigh boasts plenty of technology assets, including a high concentration of info-tech companies, research universities and state government offices," Forbes wrote.

Residents of Durham, Chapel Hill and Cary will note that Raleigh shares many of those attributes with other Triangle communities, but gets the credit as the region's largest city.

Raleigh was No. 15 on last year's list, and this year bumped off more traditional tech hubs such as Seattle, Atlanta and Washington. Charlotte was the only other North Carolina city to make the top 20 this year, landing at No. 16.

The Triangle routinely wins kudos in various "best of" lists, and economic boosters use such rankings to help recruit businesses and expansions.

Forbes' article quotes Brooks Raiford, head of the N.C. Technology Association, who notes that the region's highly educated and relatively higher-income population is "fertile ground" for high broadband demand and use.

Staff writer Alan Wolf

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