The City Wire Special Report: Seeking Google’s Fiber — Part IV

Editor’s note: This is the final installment in a four-part series attempting to explain what Google’s plan to build an ultra-high speed Internet connection could mean for the Fort Smith/Van Buren area.

story by Tom Kirkham, president of Kirkham Systems and publisher of The City Wire
[email protected]

There are many organizations and individuals involved in seeking jobs for our area.  Through their efforts, we have done a good job in securing manufacturing jobs; technology jobs, not so good. For the area’s financial health, economic diversification is required, especially diversifying into the technology industry. Having ultra-high speed Internet is very compelling to technology companies.

Imagine this list on amenities presented to prospective companies:
• Regional Intermodal Transportation Authority
• Low crime rate
• University of Arkansas at Fort Smith
• Central geographic location
• Chaffee Crossing
• 1Gb Internet Access

Leaps off the screen doesn’t it? By just having availability of 1Gbps Internet, even if it is just a neighborhood, says volumes about a cities personality, especially when it is being reviewed by a technology company. And if it is Google that has deployed it, that community or city will also have other Google opportunities as well. Remember, Google’s purpose is to discover new “killer apps” and services, and to test new ways to deploy fiber networks. Furthermore, they are promising an “open access” network, giving users the choice of multiple service providers. This is good for all of us — even the Internet service providers already established in the Fort Smith region.

There will likely be hundreds, maybe thousands of communities applying for this program, but that does not mean we should not try. No one knows exactly what Google is seeking in a perfect fit, but it would not be unreasonable for them to seek an area that is not a technology center, to analyze how ultra-high speed access potentially changes a city’s personality.

The local governments must participate in the response to Google. Without the participation and support of a city’s governing body, the effort is sure to fail. But in addition, Google is challenging residents and community groups to prepare not only an official response, but novel ways of applying, including posting YouTube videos.

In an interview on the Gigaom Web site, Minnie Ingersoll, a product manager for alternative access with Google says, “One of the things we learned from municipal Wi-Fi is we need to have an engaged, excited community. We need to find a place where we can get users to use this service, what infrastructure is available and how the local contracting process works.”

Let’s get excited.

How? First, submit your town or neighborhood for consideration. Next, contact your city director or mayor to show citizen support for the initiative. Encourage any civic or other organizations to which you belong to also nominate your community. Make a video about how and why your community needs ultra-high speed Intertubes. Mail a big “I Love You” card to Google. Whatever. Just get excited.

To learn more, visit the Google Fiber for Communities Web site. Submit your neighborhood, town, city, or area.

Follow these links to Part I, Part II and Part III of the series.