Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Interest is Growing for Google Fiber

A few weeks ago, I learned about Google's broadband service entre (maybe). They announced that they would be selecting communities in which to test an incredibly high-speed fiber network. Fed up with waiting on government and other big business to act on U.S. broadband's needs, Google--always the innovator--is taking action.

I read the news, but to be honest, didn't give it much more thought. Until, that is, my phone started ringing. Here in my home town of Indy, at least two friends of mine in other tech businesses wanted to know if I would sign their petition to Google to choose our humble city as their testing ground.

Surely this was just a few over-zealous fans, I thought. Then I saw the twitter conversation growing. My Facebook wall got flooded. Apparently, someone, or some group of someones, really wants Google fiber in Indianapolis.

There has even been an official site launched to gather signatures: fiber4indy.com. For all of my neighbors and friends, I am proud to report that I have now signed the petition.

In truth, I'm very encouraged on two fronts. First, that Google's offer did not fall on deaf ears. It is a testament to how ready the US is for broadband change that such a stir has been created. Had their announcement been met with a flat golf clap and then faded into the background of internet chatter, we would know the problem of broadband in the U.S. was not as big as we may have thought.

Second, however, is that the people still speak. Petitions? Really? I haven't signed a petition since our 3rd grade class banded together to get a different candy option in the vending machines. When it could be easy to wait for the broadband plan to be implemented and place the impetus on the government to take action, at least for my local Hoosiers, the people are taking action.

Go Google. Go people.

Labels: Broadband Plan, Google Fiber