hometown news, might not be the right forum but sounds interesting
http://newstopic.net/view/full_story/6433440/article-Caldwell-in-the-running-to-test-Google%E2%80%99s-high-speed-online-service?instance=homefirstleftCaldwell in the running to test Google’s high-speed online service
by News-Topic Staff
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Caldwell County has joined with municipalities and other agencies to apply to become a test community for a new, super-fast Internet connectivity service being offered by Google. The company claims the service will offer Internet speeds 100 times faster than the speediest high-speed cable connections, with a target of one gigabit per second.
Representatives from Caldwell County government, area cities, Caldwell County Schools, Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute, Caldwell County Chamber of Commerce, Caldwell Memorial Hospital, Duke Energy, Caldwell 20/20, Blue Ridge Electric and others met last week to form a committee to proceed.
Called the Caldwell Google Fiber Experiment Task Force, the group will work together to present Caldwell County as the best location for the experimental project by the application deadline of March 26.
“If we are successful in becoming the test site, this Google experiment will provide broad-based, high-speed Internet service never seen before in a rural community,” Caldwell County Commissioner Don Barrier said. “This will give citizens access to the Internet at speeds they have never had before, Better still, it will allow our county to continue to transform itself for future employment and educational opportunities.
“The infrastructure that would be put in place to support this will allow current businesses opportunities to expand. That means existing businesses can become more competitive. And, it will provide fertile ground to attract new businesses and industry to the county. Either way this could mean more jobs coming to the area. It’s win-win situation for all.”
Google has established itself in Caldwell County for more than three years. The company operates a massive data center in Lenoir and owns a land footprint that extends from Harrisburg Drive to Fairview Drive. Last year, Google worked with the City of Lenoir to install wireless Internet service in the downtown area.
According to the application information on the Google Fiber for Communities Web site, Google will install fiber connections to homes and businesses throughout the chosen test sites for at least 50,000 and possibly up to 500,000 individuals. The company will then work with the current providers in the chosen area to offer the Internet service.
The Caldwell County task force will meet regularly over the next few weeks to present the county as the best location for the experiment,
“Caldwell County is uniquely positioned to take advantage of this opportunity because of our previous demonstrated ability to work well together with other local governments, entities and the private sector,” Caldwell County Manager Stan Kiser said. “This effort will take significant cooperation between all the local governments in the area, the education system and the utility providers. We are very excited about what this could mean for Caldwell County and the surrounding area.”
