A group of city, business and technology leaders hopes to entice Google to make Asheville the home of one of the fastest high-speed broadband networks in the nation.
The Internet giant has announced plans to bring an extensive fiber optic network to every home in one or more cities across the United States, promising connection speeds of 1 gigabit per second, far faster than DSL or cable broadband.
The Asheville Google Fiber Network Initiative is urging everyone from media artists to school officials to help them demonstrate how Asheville could become a hub of innovation with the help of Google’s network.
Advocates of the network say it could allow teachers to hold classes over the Web during snow days or help scientists compile massive amounts of data and map out solutions to the world’s climate problems.
“We’re talking about having the best fiber optic network in the nation,” said Asheville City Councilman Gordon Smith. “It gives us an opportunity to become a center of research and innovation in a way we wouldn’t have the opportunity to otherwise.”
Google is looking for a city with a population of 50,000-500,000 people and could spend up to $500 million on the project.
The company has asked municipal leaders and community members to respond to requests for information by March 26, outlining their city’s current network infrastructure and ways they would utilize the new technology.
Officials in some cities have taken outlandish steps to gain Google’s affection. The mayor of Topeka, Kan., made a proclamation renaming his city “Google, Kan.” for the month of March.
Google hasn’t stated exactly what qualities it wants in a host city or whether the company might seek legal or economic incentives in choosing a location, said Ben Teague, senior vice president for economic development at the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce.
Asheville should be attractive to Google because the company could build on existing broadband infrastructure put in place by groups like ERC Broadband and Mountain Area Information Network, said ERC General Manager Hunter Goosman.
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