A group of U.S. cities have come together and formed an association tasked with helping communities attract investment in high-speed broadband networks.

Called Next Century Cities (NCC), it boasts 32 founding members from all corners of the country. They will share knowledge and information about how to leverage next-generation networks to attract businesses, create jobs, and improve healthcare and education.

"Across the country, city leaders are hungry to deploy high-speed Internet to transform their communities and connect residents to better jobs, better healthcare, and better education for their children," said Deb Socia, executive director of NCC, in a statement on Monday.

"These mayors are rolling up their sleeves and getting the job done," she said. "Next Century Cities will be right alongside them to help them make their goal of communities across the country having access to fast, affordable, and reliable Internet a reality."

If they are too burdensome, local rules and regulations tied to physical infrastructure can play a significant role in hindering broadband deployment.

NCC said it has been set up to help communities understand what works – and what doesn't – when it comes to developing an NGN strategy.

"Cities will also work together to raise awareness of this important issue to all Americans," said NCC.

Inaugural members include Austin, Boston, Kansas City in Kansas as well as Kansas City in Missouri, Palo Alto, and Santa Monica. The full list can be found on NCC's Website.

"Boston is home to world-renowned academic and medical institutions and important technology companies that rely on broadband Internet to educate, heal and innovate. We see continued improvement in broadband speed and affordability as an essential element to driving growth and creating economic opportunity," said Boston mayor Marty Walsh, in a statement.

"Collaboration with other municipalities is essential to discovering the full potential of high-speed Internet. Sharing the experiences and insights of different cities will help spark new ideas and maximise the impact of this technology nationwide," added Lee Leffingwell, mayor of Austin.