Thousands entered … 10 were chosen as Hometown Techover finalists and Woodstock brings home the $3M prize, becoming the crown jewel of 5G for small towns across America
BELLEVUE, Wash.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–T-Mobile (NASDAQ: TMUS) names Woodstock, Illinois as the inaugural T-Mobile Hometown Techover winner, scoring a $3 million technology upgrade including a $200,000 grant, 5G network enhancements, a Little League® Baseball field refurbishment, a free concert featuring multi-platinum duo Florida Georgia Line … and so much more. And if you’re not a Woodstockian, fret not — this is just the beginning. T-Mobile will continue blanketing Small Town USA with 5G network enhancements as part of the company’s commitment to rural America, showcasing the kind of good that can be done with the nation’s largest, fastest, most reliable 5G network.
Out of the 10 incredible finalist towns, Woodstock took the win based on enthusiasm, commitment to the process, and the special nature of the town. With personal involvement from the mayor, city manager, public works, chamber president and many other key townspeople, Woodstock was a competition stand-out. A tight-knit community that prides itself on the values and charm of a small town, while also integrating a contemporary and progressive mindset, the people of Woodstock enjoy a diverse economy, a strong youth sports program, and a downtown square brimming with small businesses that will benefit from 5G and the $200,000 community grant. Tune into NBC’s 3rd Hour of TODAY tomorrow to see more on Woodstock and why they were chosen as the T-Mobile Hometown Techover winner.
“Choosing a Hometown Techover winner was no easy task, with so many fantastic entries across the nation … but the people of Woodstock, Illinois are primed and ready to become the 5G model for small towns nationwide,” said Jon Freier, Executive Vice President of Consumer Group at T-Mobile. “They’re going to show Small Town America all the ways 5G can transform and more deeply connect a community, and we’ll be here every step of the way through this massive technology upgrade.”
As part of their winnings, the town of Woodstock will score a mass of tech goods and services for the community-as-a-whole as well as individual households, worth more than $3 MILLION. Among the goodness:
- Community Grant: A $200,000 T-Mobile Hometown Grant and technical assistance services from Smart Growth America (SGA). SGA will develop and deliver analyses and a workshop to support Woodstock’s efforts toward continued economic vibrancy.
- Play Ball: Little League® field refurbishment including a tech upgrade and T-Mobile Little League Call Up Grant support
- Public Space Tech Upgrade: An Un-carrier style upgrade to a public space like a library, community center or town square
- Access to T-Mobile Resources: Concierge enrollment in T-Mobile’s Project 10 Million and Connecting Heroes programs
- T-Mobile Magenta Ticket: 100 lucky Woodstock households will snag a prize pack including free wireless service and home internet for a year, plus new 5G phones and an HDTV! Keep your eyes out for that winning ticket!
- And last, but certainly not least, the bash of all bashes!: A FREE concert for the winning town with 19-time chart-topping, multi-platinum duo Florida Georgia Line
“Smart Growth America is committed to the success of small cities and rural communities. Having worked in over 130 cities and towns of all sizes over the years, we know what it takes to help them capitalize on what makes them great places to call home,” said Calvin Gladney, President and CEO of Smart Growth America. “We are excited about the opportunities afforded to these rural places by T-Mobile. Woodstock, IL is a unique community that is keenly aware of its sense of place, is anchored by a vibrant downtown, and possesses both a compelling vision for the future and the capacity to fulfill that vision. We are eager to help them continue on their quest.”
5G is Coming to Woodstock
T-Mobile’s 5G network enhancements will transform how the residents of Woodstock work and play. Today’s office is virtually anywhere, and it’s spurring a greater demand for services that keep people connected from their home to the office and the places in between. And, people want connectivity that will enable their whole family to work and learn all day long without any buffering or spinning wheel. They want to listen to stereo quality music without waiting. And they demand high-quality video calls on the go that don’t freeze or drop, web pages that open in the blink of an eye and large files that download in a flash. 5G is connecting us to our world in powerful new ways that will turn these consumer demands into a reality, and the residents of Woodstock are about to experience it all, AND with bragging rights — they’re about to become the 5G model for small towns nationwide.
“With this Hometown Techover, we’re going to do so much good for the residents of Woodstock — starting with transforming the town square with technology, to bolster our small businesses and bring more young people to town,” said Mike Turner, Mayor of Woodstock. “And, youth sports are big here, so we’re thrilled to fast-track plans we’d already put into motion to upgrade our Little League parks. Thank you, T-Mobile! We’re ready to show Small Town America just what the nation’s best 5G can do.”
Florida Georgia Line is Ready to Celebrate
Ain’t no party like a T-Mobile 5G party. T-Mobile is gonna celebrate this Hometown Techover winning town in typical T-Mobile style — with an exclusive-to-Woodstock concert featuring 19-time chart-topping, multi-platinum duo Florida Georgia Line!
“Let’s go Woodstock! Congrats on winning the T-Mobile Hometown Techover,” shares Florida Georgia Line’s Tyler Hubbard. “Your community came together to make this happen, and we can’t wait to celebrate this moment with such a great town!”
Florida Georgia Line’s Brian Kelley continues, “We’ll be bringing the energy, good vibes, and something special for all the people of Woodstock. Hope y’all are ready to party!”
Commitment to Rural America
T-Mobile Hometown Techover is just one of the many initiatives underscoring T-Mobile’s commitment to rural America. Beyond amazing deals on plans and new devices, the Un-carrier’s unleashed a new broadband service available to nearly 10 million rural households — T-Mobile Home Internet — and a commitment to build hundreds of new stores and create 7,500 new jobs supporting the wireless needs of communities across rural America. T-Mobile is also committing $25 million to small town grants during the next five years to help fund community development projects in rural areas across the country to help jumpstart stalled projects and get new ones off the ground. Learn more, or apply for, T-Mobile Hometown Grants here. More than just bringing wireless, T-Mobile wants to be part of the community and help small towns thrive.
For more information about T-Mobile’s commitment to small towns, visit T-Mobile.com/AcrossAmerica.
For full details of the T-Mobile Hometown Techover, head here.
Follow T-Mobile’s Official Twitter Newsroom @TMobileNews to stay up to date with the latest company news.
Most Reliable: According to an audit report conducted by independent third party umlaut containing crowdsourced data for user experience collected from January to July 2021. Full details at: www.umlaut.com/en/benchmarking/USA. Fastest: According to Opensignal Awards – USA: 5G User Experience Report July 2021, based on independent analysis of average speeds from mobile measurements recorded during the period March 16 – June 13, 2021 © 2021 Opensignal Limited.
About T-Mobile
T-Mobile U.S. Inc. (NASDAQ: TMUS) is America’s supercharged Un-carrier, delivering an advanced 4G LTE and transformative nationwide 5G network that will offer reliable connectivity for all. T-Mobile’s customers benefit from its unmatched combination of value and quality, unwavering obsession with offering them the best possible service experience and undisputable drive for disruption that creates competition and innovation in wireless and beyond. Based in Bellevue, Wash., T-Mobile provides services through its subsidiaries and operates its flagship brands, T-Mobile, Metro by T-Mobile and Sprint. For more information please visit: https://www.t-mobile.com.
ABOUT FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE:
GRAMMY-nominated duo Florida Georgia Line have been making history since 2012. The global superstars are the first and only Country act to achieve two RIAA Diamond-certified singles with 11x Platinum, No. 1 breakout “Cruise” (the best-selling digital Country single of all time – SoundScan) and 10x Platinum, No. 1 “Meant to Be” with Bebe Rexha (holding the longest reign on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart at 50 straight weeks). With their fifth studio album, Life Rolls On (BMLG Records), featuring No. 1 hits “Long Live” and “I Love My Country,” FGL keeps proving themselves as in-demand collaborators and “one of the format’s premier musical shapeshifters” (Esquire), including recent releases “Lil Bit” (Nelly), “It’s About Time” (Russell Dickerson), plus “Drinkin’ Beer. Talkin’ God. Amen.” (Chase Rice). FGL’s tallied 19 career No. 1 singles, 13.9+ billion global streams, sold more than 40 million tracks and 4.8 million albums worldwide, logged 1.8 billion video views and played to over 4 million fans spanning massive arena and stadium headline tours. Honored by ACM, AMA, Billboard, CMA, and CMT Music Awards, their creative empire also includes FGL House Party Radio with Florida Georgia Line on Apple Music Country, and thriving business initiatives: FGL House, meet + greet, Round Here Records, Tree Vibez Music, Tribe Kelley, Old Camp Whiskey and Wolf Moon Bourbon (with Jason Aldean).
About Woodstock, Illinois
The City of Woodstock, Illinois, county seat of McHenry County, was established in 1844 (known as Centerville originally). Woodstock is home to 25,528 residents, 389 businesses, and 550 acres of parkland, a true Midwestern city, located 41 miles Northwest of Chicago, where community and quality of life are values that run deep. Woodstock’s motto “True to its past and confident of its future” is evident. Rich with history, arts and culture, a picturesque town square and the world-renowned Opera House, Woodstock is your destination for music, arts & culture, dining, shopping, and endless family friendly events. A nostalgic small-town feel you can’t help but fall in love with. For more information about Woodstock visit www.realwoodstock.com and www.woodstockil.gov.
About Smart Growth America
About Smart Growth America: Smart Growth America envisions a country where no matter where you live, or who you are, you can enjoy living in a place that is healthy, prosperous, and resilient. We empower communities through technical assistance, advocacy, and thought leadership to realize our vision of livable places, healthy people, and shared prosperity. https://smartgrowthamerica.org/.
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