Fredericton and Moncton have been singled out alongside cities such as Stockholm and Eindhoven for having exceptional broadband infrastructure and connectivity.

The Intelligent Community Forum (ICF), a U.S.-based non-profit think-thank, unveiled its seven-city shortlist for "Intelligent Community of the Year" Wednesday in Honolulu.

The award, which went last year to the Gangnam District of Seoul, South Korea, seeks to recognize cites for innovations in connectivity, broadband development, and engaging citizens in web use.

It's the second year in a row Fredericton has been shortlisted, while Moncton makes its first appearance on the list.

"Last year, we were excited to make the top seven and to repeat is amazing," Fredericton Mayor Brad Woodside said in a statement.

"The combination of broadband, entrepreneurship and Fredericton's universities has powered the creation of over 12,000 jobs in science parks, research centres and incubators, and engendered a strong culture of use for broadband in daily life," ICF said in a release.

ICF also acknowledged Fredericton's wireless network, dubbed the "Fred-eZone" that allows users in 65 per cent of the city to connect.

Moncton received accolades for its investments in communications and investment technology. Moncton has grown as a "telecom-centric" economy, the ICF said in its release.

"Moncton is a test bed for communications," ICF co-founder Louis Zacharilla told CBC News. He added the city is working with companies like Bell Aliant to develop its broadband capabilities.

"This recognition confirms that Moncton is a world-class city that doesn't need to take a back seat to anyone," Mayor George LeBlanc said in a statement.

Moncton and Fredericton are among the smaller cities on the list. The largest, Stockholm, has a population of about 800,000.

"It seems that the smaller and mid-size cities — because they're less well known, because it's easier to get things done politically, because of a sense of civic pride — they feature prominently on our list," Zacharilla said.

That two cities from the same province made the shortlist is "highly unusual" and is a "singular achievement," Zacharilla said.

The other communities to make the shortlist were:

• Bristol, Va., U.S.A.
• Eindhoven, Netherlands.
• Issy-les-Moulineaux, France.
• Stockholm, Sweden.
• Tallinn, Estonia.

The winner of the award will be announced in May.