Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Google maps, Google phone, Google mail, Google Earth and now Google Fiber. To add to its already long list of technology endeavors, Google will launch an experiment to create a faster, more accessible Internet for everyone.
From now until March 26, cities and communities will compete for the chance to be selected as a trial location for Google Fiber for Communities, a new ultra-high speed broadband network.
Last week, the Lawrence City Commission joined the competition by authorizing staff to complete the nomination paperwork.
Video
Lawrence competing to offer faster Internet
The city of Lawrence has applied to be a Google Fiber community, which would build an ultra high-speed broadband network in the area and offer Internet up to 100 times faster than the national average.
The commissioners did not go as far as Topeka and rename Lawrence “Google Kansas” for the month of March, but they are encouraging residents to promote the city. A request from the commission won’t be enough to win the bid, so the city created an informational website, where residents can find the links for the Fiber application.
WHAT IS GOOGLE FIBER?
Google Fiber will provide residents with access to Internet speeds over 1 gigabit per second, which is 20 times faster than local internet speeds and 100 times faster than national average broadband speeds. The high-speed will create new possibilities for watching video, storing data and collaborating online, Google said in its online information release.
The price has not yet been determined, but Google said that prices would be competitive.
COMMUNITY RESPONSE
Google Fiber has already gotten mixed responses from Lawrence residents. Allison Schmidt, a first year graduate student from Fargo, N.D., said she is usually content with the speed of her internet but imagines it could be faster. Schmidt, who pays $50 a month for her Sunflower Broadband internet service, said she thought the service was overpriced considering she didn’t have cable. She said she would definitely be interested in nominating Lawrence as a site for the new Google Fiber launch in hopes it would provide faster internet.
Although Google has not determined its prices for Google Fiber, an online information release said the prices would be competitive. Here’s how the monthly rates for Lawrence’s main internet providers compare.
Sunflower Broadband prices: $19.95 to $59.95 per month - http://www.sunflowerbroadband.com/internet/
Lawrence Freenet: $0 to $44.98 per month - http://www.lawrencefreenet.org/rates.php
AT&T: $19.95 to $65 per month - http://www.att.com/gen/general?pid=6431
“I think it would be good just to have something to add in a bit of competition for the other businesses so they can make their prices a bit more reasonable,” Schmidt said.
But Rod Kutemeier, general manager of Sunflower Broadband, said he thought the internet speeds and prices that Sunflower offers could actually be harm the city’s chances since Google is looking for places where that don’t already have fast internet offered at a lower price.
“It’s going to be a hard case for Lawrence to prove to Google executives that we are in need of faster Internet at better prices,” Kutemeier said in an address to the City Commission during last week’s meeting.
He said Sunflower supports the Google project, but he added that the city should take a different approach to the competition.
“I think that there is a case to be made to look at a way we could present ourselves to Google as an option to build out the existing fiber we already have into the neighborhoods,” Kutemeier said.
Joshua Montgomery, founder of the Lawrence Freenet Project, an alternative community Internet provider, did not voice concerns, but said, “We’d love to help if we can.”
Several local business owners look forward to the possibilities Google Fiber would have to offer.
Cindy Bracker Sturm, owner of Icafe, 520 W. Third St., encouraged the idea of community involvement.
“I would be happy to provide my store as a place for public to come in and voice their support,” Sturm said.
— Edited by Sarah Bluvas
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Comments
Lawrence looks to add Fiber to Internet providers
It is very unlikely that Lawrence will be a valid candidate for Google's fiber initiatives. While the idea is exciting when you consider the lackluster offerings we currently have the fact remains that Lawrence is simply not large enough for what Google would like to start. When Google announced their plans they stated "we'll offer service at a competitive price to at least 50,000" [1] While Lawrence is not a small city at best estimates we have close to 90,520 people [2] and only 32,761 households as of the 2000 census (~1300 of which were vacant when the census was taken in 2000) [3]. Assuming moderate growth you can assume that number has grown by 4000-5000, or the official estimate of 37,428 (for 2006-2008).
Essentially what I am getting to is that Google would estimate that at best 20-30% of house owners would switch to a new internet service meaning we are about 1/5th of the size Google is wanting. While I support this initiative I feel like it is unlikely.
[1]http://www.google.com/appserve/fiberrfi [2]http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/SAFFPopulation?_event=ChangeGeoContext&geo_id=16000US2038900&_geoContext=&_street=&_county=lawrence%2C+ks&_cityTown=lawrence%2C+ks&_state=&_zip=&_lang=en&_sse=on&ActiveGeoDiv=&_useEV=&pctxt=fph&pgsl=010&_submenuId=population_0&ds_name=null&_ci_nbr=null&qr_name=null®=null%3Anull&_keyword=&_industry= [3]http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/SAFFFacts?_event=&geo_id=16000US2038900&_geoContext=01000US%7C04000US20%7C16000US2038900&_street=&_county=lawrence%2C+ks&_cityTown=lawrence%2C+ks&_state=&_zip=&_lang=en&_sse=on&ActiveGeoDiv=&_useEV=&pctxt=fph&pgsl=160&_submenuId=factsheet_1&ds_name=ACS_2008_3YR_SAFF&_ci_nbr=null&qr_name=null®=null%3Anull&_keyword=&_industry=
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