No surprise, Google has been sitting on another revolution that will change the way we perceive and use the Internet. Dubbed Google Fiber, or Google Fiber for Communities Project, a series of ultra high-speed broadband projects are in the works, hoping to make Internet access faster and better. Fiber will potentially bring Internet speeds over 100x faster than what’s available to most, with one gigabit per second, fiber-to-the-home connections. They’re also experimenting with “next generation apps,” “new deployment techniques,” and “openness and choice networks.” For more specific information about this project, check out the article on Google’s blog.
All interested, future-focused cities were to have submitted their applications by today (March 26th), and Boulder, being home to CU and a plethora of federal research sites and laboratories, is thought to be a top contender. If picked as the site for this beta testing, Boulder will experience a new frontier of collaboration and data sharing, not to mention a drastic upgrade to the applications and software already being explored by Boulder’s techie population.
But Boulder has not been chosen yet, and it certainly has fierce competition for this prime opportunity. Cites all over the country are vying for Google attention, adapting social media techniques such as Facebook and Twitter to rally support.
But Boulder has put in its fair share of effort. Google is not only looking for cities that meet certain requirements for their test site, but communities that demonstrate enthusiasm for the project. And Boulder is nothing if not enthusiastic. Facebook pages, Twitter accounts and websites have popped up in the last few weeks, encouraging Boulder residents and its community partners to “get out the vote” by nominating Boulder and spreading the word on their personal social networking accounts. So, let’s all show our support by hopping on http://boulderfiber.com, become a fan of the “Bring Google Fiber to the City of Boulder” Facebook page, and use the hashtag #boulderfiber on Twitter.
If nothing else, this is yet another reminder of the power social media has to implement change and make a huge impact. Remember, this entire “contest” is not being influenced by phone calls or emails or other traditional methods; it’s 100% social networking methods. Think of what could happen if that energy was being directed to your business. And if Boulder does become Google’s new test site, it will be in large part to the social media effort put forth. Let the best city win.
