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BUSINESS
Huntington vies for ultra-fast Internet
A press conference was held Tuesday, March 23, 2010 to discuss what it would mean locally for Google to select Huntington as a trial location in which to test an ultra-high speed broadband network.
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HUNTINGTON -- The city of Huntington became one of hundreds of communities throughout the country vying to be the test site for Google's ultra-high speed, fiber-optic broadband Internet on Tuesday.
Huntington Mayor Kim Wolfe, Marshall University President Stephen Kopp and Cabell County Schools Superintendent Bill Smith met at on Marshall's Huntington campus to announce their intent. Huntington will send its application to Google on March 26.
"Huntington has a true chance in this highly competitive application process for Google fiber," Wolfe said. "Even though Huntington is a small, hometown community, we believe that's what sets us apart."
What the city, Marshall, Cabell County schools and individuals throughout the community are hoping to get is experimental ultra-high speed Internet access.
According to Google, it plans to test ultra-high speed broadband networks in one or more trial locations across the country. The networks, Google has said, will deliver Internet speeds more than 100 times faster than what most Americans have access to today, over 1 gigabit per second, on the fiber-to-the-home connections.
Google said it will offer service at a competitive price to at least 50,000 and potentially up to 500,000 people.
Wolfe said the new access would greatly benefit Huntington because it would bring in more businesses, build a secure platform for emergency responders and allow local government to put its meetings online, which will lead to more civic participation.
Attracting businesses, Kopp said, is a big benefit of having Google fiber-optic broadband Internet in Huntington.
"We're going to start to see the influence of the connectivity of the community and the availability and the ultra-high speed access to the Internet being a factor in decisions like this," Kopp said. "It affects the way their work force works, it affects their ability to compete in a truly global economy and do it in a way that they are not handicapped by the speed of transmission."
Wolfe said having Google's fiber-optic broadband Internet access also will help keep Huntington's skilled and developing work force in the state.
Smith said the fast-speed Internet access will allow teachers to teach from one location while students can learn from their households during inclement weather. When students miss school, they can pick up the lessons they missed because teachers will be able to record and post their lessons online.
Aside from their 20-plus page application, several people have posted videos on YouTube expressing the importance of bringing Google to Huntington. Fourteen videos were uploaded to the Google Fiber Huntington WV Web site by Tuesday, including one featuring the mayor.
Wolfe is mounted on a horse riding down the middle of the street while two Huntington police officers zoom past him on motorcycles. In the video, Wolfe draws the comparison of Huntington's current Internet speed, a horse, and their speed if Google comes to town.
Citizens and business owners are urged to create videos supporting bringing Google to the city. Those interested in bringing Google to Huntington can also join a Facebook group online. People can also learn more by visiting www.googlefiber huntington.com.
