14 DAY TRIAL // Google announced last month that it wanted to deploy 1 Ggps fiber-to-home connections to up to 500,000 Americans. It asked local authorities interested in getting Google to bring the super-fast broadband connections to their town to submit applications for consideration. Plenty of towns got excited at the prospect, sometime leading to more extreme means of getting attention including officials swimming with sharks. The application period expires today and the program is set to move to the next phase, though Google has been sketchy about what that implies.
The company isn't satisfied with the state of broadband adoption and options in the US and has decided to stop sitting idly by and maybe set an example for ISPs or at least scare them into action. It plans to roll out gigabit connections to at least 50,000 people throughout the US as a means of pioneering and testing ways of getting fast but also affordable Internet to people. Google obviously has plenty to gain from a faster Internet, as all of its business relies on revenue made online.
Municipalities have been very open to the proposition, perhaps indicating just how unsatisfied most people are with their existing options or lack thereof, as plenty of places only have one real alternative when it comes to broadband. The city of Topeka, Kansas actually changed its name to Google, Kansas, though not legally, setting off a wave of over-the-top stunts from other competing towns.
Swimming in extreme conditions seems to have been a popular way of getting attention. One mayor swam into the ice-cold Lake Superior in the middle of winter, while the Sarasota, Florida mayor chose a location more in tune with the climate of the area, a shark tank.
However, probably the biggest role was played by social media, as plenty of towns used Facebook and other means to rally their citizens behind the application. This level of communication between the authorities and the regular people wasn't really possible even a few years ago and is perhaps a sign of things to come. With the application period over, Google will have to select the locations where it plans to bring its broadband services. The company hasn't said when it will decide or how much it will take for plans to be set in motion, but, hopefully, it won't be too long.