It’s been a bonanza for public relations folks who can dream up zany stunts that feed the our news media’s thirst for “man bites dog” stories. Google reported Friday that they had received more than 1,100 community responses to the broadband fiber request for information (RFI) and more than 194,000 responses from individuals.
The company dashed a bit of cold water on those hopes when it reminded us that the goal of this experiment is to “reach a total of at least 50,000 and potentially up to 500,000 people with this experiment.”
But what city/cities should really win Google’s broadband challenge?
Greenville, SC Creates Google Logo With More Than 2,000 People Holding LED Glow Sticks; Photo by Michael Bergen, AidJoy.org
Should it be the city with the best ability to garner national news coverage, whether that’s Topeka, KS (renamed “Google, KS” for the month of March); Duluth, MN (tongue-in-cheek response to Topeka edict to name firstborn children “Google and Googlette Fiber”); or Greenville, SC (citizen-powered LED-logo)? Should it be a city from California? (There are at least 15 cities reportedly in the running.) Should it be a non-urban area? (Google says it wants to offer high-speed fiber to at least 50,000 people.)
This map (effective 1.30 pm PT) shows where responses were concentrated. Each small dot represents a government response; each large dot represents locations where more than 1,000 residents submitted a nomination.
If Google has preconceived ideas about what the winner might look like, they aren’t sharing. Me, I’m hoping that at least one community is on the “bottom” of this population threshold. I’d also like it to be outside of or on the edge of a major metropolitan area.
That means “no” to San Francisco (and other Silicon Valley entities, population density 17,323/sq mi) and Seattle (ditto, 7,136/sq mi). It means “no” to Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Detroit, Las Vegas, Orlando, Philadelphia, Portland, Raleigh, St. Louis. It means “no” to Greensboro (home to seven major colleges and universities) and Madison (center of MSA, population 561,505, and home to University of Wisconsin) and Fairfax County VA (suburban DC) and Sante Fe (the capitol of New Mexico).
I’m arguing for true experimentation: pick at least one locality that the telecos and cable companies are unlikely to care about. It might be an aging industrial center like Huntington, WV (population 49,185 in 2008, 3,234.1/sq mi) or Troy, NY (population 49,170 in 2000, 4,470/sq mi).
My native east coast side is rooting for Troy, even though it is part of a large MSA. Troy has a history of innovation. It’s the home of the Emma Willard School, founded in 1821 as the Troy Female Seminary and “the first school in the country to provide girls the same educational opportunities given to boys.” It’s the home to one of the nation’s first and largest waterwheels, producing electricity for Burden Iron Works and helping jumpstart the industrial revolution (Chapter 1, The Big Switch by Nicolas Carr). And the Google project has brought the community together.
However, for true experimentation, Google should pair a western outpost like Butte, MT (population 33,892 in 2000, 28.9/sq mi) with an agricultural one like Clinton, IA (population 27,772 in 2000, 780.9/sq mi). It is in rural areas that the need for experimentation is the greatest, because for-profit telecos and cable companies won’t be interested in the low density population areas, if 20th century electrification and telephony (REA, NTC) are our guide.
The Google project couldn’t be more timely. Verizon, which has introduced fiber optic cable in 16 states, is divesting itself of the service in the west and mid-west (subject to federal government approval). And Verizon “is the only major U.S. phone company to draw fiber all the way to homes.” While FiOS speeds pale next to speeds in Japan and South Korea, it is the fastest internet-to-the-home in the U.S. Fiber is 4-5 times faster than basic cable and almost 20 times faster than DSL.
According to the Washington Post, at the end of 2009 “Verizon had 2.86 million FiOS TV subscribers and 3.43 million FiOS Internet subscribers (most households take both).” What did it cost to get those customers? In 2007, Verizon estimated a cost of $23 billion over a six year period. Do the math: that’s more than $6,500 per customer, assuming 3.5 million total customers.
Changing out copper for fiber is expensive, but the Google fiber initiative suggests that millions of us understand why it needs to be done.
How do you think Google should make its pick? How much would you pay for high-speed internet service that rivaled Japan?
Related: US Cities In 43 States Vying For Google Fiber
:: This post first appeared at Wiredpen
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13 Comments, Comment or Ping
Sunil Wahi
Lansing, MI
Mar 26th, 2010
Kate Alexander
Louisiana Technical Council in New Orleans gathered affiliates and was able to find computer records lost in Hurricane Katrina. They also receved many grants to bring New Orleans businesses up to speed technilogically. The varius courses were available to me. Now I am putting this material together for my own business. There will be a website.
The city has a new mayor who is from a good political dynasty. The city has faith we can now grow. The infrastructure needs upgrading. WiFi was being set up by EarthLink prior to Hurricane Katrina.
This is a city starting from scratch. Perfect for Google to enter and grow with us. The New Orleans Saints grew with the city and so can Google.
That is not a joke. That is people working and wanting to rebuild and grow — perfect for the entry og Google.
A mayor who has no corruption following him or his family, a willing to build and grow. Let’s do it!
Mar 26th, 2010
Kyle Rensmeyer
Google should also consider the Bryan-College Station area in Texas. The towns (right next to each other) have a combined ~200,000, and College Station is known as the most educated city in Texas, due to its large university presence (Texas A&M University).
Mar 26th, 2010
Christina Martin
Sarasota, Fl
Mar 26th, 2010
Kathy Gill
Thanks for the nominees.
I find it interesting that no one is taking aim at my argument regarding more remote, less urban areas be at the top of Google’s list.
Mar 26th, 2010
Paul Mayevsky
I completely agree with the idea that the location should be more remote and a community that actually has a need for it. It would be interesting to find out if taking a dip in freezing water can win some Google Fiber.
Mar 27th, 2010
Paul Mayevsky
This article is one of the reasons why I believe Elkhart County, IN would be a perfect place for Fiber. (www. googleforelkhart.com)
Mar 27th, 2010
Dorothy
i am nominating MIAMI FL
Mar 27th, 2010
Dorothy
MIAMI FL
Mar 27th, 2010
Lisa
I think a smaller community would be perfect for the Google Experiment! That is why Google, Kansas (Topeka, Kansas) would be the perfect spot. Topeka is a diverse community made up of the capitol city and surrounding communities that are a few miles outside of the city. I live SW a few miles outside of town where there are no cable lines, for companies don’t want to lay lines out this far and there thousands of people out here with no serivce at all. In Topeka you would enhance lives not only within the capitol city but the whole world, for Dr. Brian Thoma a professor at Washburn University won a half million dollar grant from NASA to study the effects on marine phytoplankton when the Earth receives a blast of radiation from events such as supernovae and gamma-ray bursts a fast internet connection would enhance his research. Plus thousands of schools & businesses that would benefit from a faster interenet service.
Furthermore there are so many professionals that live outside of town and work from their homes and need high sped interenet to run their law office, business office, or even for the little person that is a virtual homeschooler. From businesses to families in Google, Kansas you could touch a diverse group of people and change the quality of their lives. Thank you so much for considering our families, communities & homes in this incredible project!
Mar 27th, 2010
Victoria
Does any other city have what Orlando has in terms of the offer from a local foundation to donate $100k to local nonprofits for access and equipment if Google chooses them? Great way to jump from access to implementation, especially for the non-profit community that might otherwise have difficulty affording Google Fiber. http://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/stories/2010/03/22/daily44.html?surround=lfn
Mar 27th, 2010
Kit
College Station, TX should be chosen as it is located in the Texas fiber triangle, connecting five of the world’s nine Tier 1 Internet carriers.
May 8th, 2010
lighting cameraman
anything that improves broadband speed has got to be a good thing. Google have plenty of money to help in this kind of thing.
Aug 6th, 2010
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