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Arcadia Weekly Mar 09, 2010
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Experimental Network Could Mean Word-Class Speed and Stiff Competition for Current Providers
The city of Pasadena will respond to Google’s request for information (RFI) to host the roll-out of Fiber for Communities, an experimental, ultra-high-speed, fiber-to-home broadband network that, according to Google, will offer Internet access at a speed of one gigabit per second – more than 100 times faster than what is available to most Americans.
The application strongly depends on the enthusiasm of the community as well as an identification of community assets that can contribute to the effort.
Google has not stated exactly how many cities it intends to serve with the trial program but has made it clear that any cities that are chosen will have demonstrated broad community support and readiness. Pasadena is among hundreds of cities planning to apply by the March 26 deadline.
“With Pasadena’s scientific, medical and engineering institutions, as well as schools and highly educated households that rely heavily on the Internet, this community is the perfect innovative partner for Google,” said City Manager Michael J. Beck. “There could be a great benefit to local commerce and economic development, as well as exciting potential for impacting the quality of life in Pasadena.”
Test communities selected by Google will help demonstrate new capabilities enabled by faster and better broadband access.
“With a history as a hotbed of technological innovation from Caltech, JPL and many private technology firms, Google will be well-served by selecting Pasadena as a demonstration site to use ultra-fast broadband,” said Dianah Neff, interim chief information officer in the Pasadena Department of Information Technology.
According to the RFI, Google will pay for construction and operation costs of the networks; customers who sign up to subscribe to the service will be charged competitive rates.
Residents, businesses, institutions, schools and others are encouraged to visit fiberforpasadena.com, a special website that has been established as part of Pasadena’s application. The site includes opportunities for residents to share and discuss their enthusiastic support for the project via social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter, upload creative videos showing their support, nominate Pasadena as a test city, map their locations, and much more.
More Information on the Google project is available at google.com/appserve/fiberrfi.
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