10 April 2013

Google Fiber and the “Internet-For-All” Mentality in NYC and Beyond

On April 9^th, Mashable reported that Google would bring its “Google Fiber” to Austin, TX. "The Internet is still in its early days and has so much more potential to improve our lives," Google said. "Communities that are connected to the Internet grow stronger because there’s greater potential to create jobs, drive economic growth, and help businesses succeed. We believe the Internet’s next chapter will be built on gigabit speeds, and we hope this new Google Fiber city will inspire communities across America to think about what ultrafast connectivity could mean for them." Google’s first cities to receive Google Fiber were Kansas City, KS and Kansas City, MO. According to the Google Fiber website the services are still being rolled out, but included is Free internet –after a $300 construction fee- which works out to be $25 per month for 12 months. The option is available to get faster Internet for a monthly fee and there is another plan to also add television to the plan for a bit more. While Google is making fast internet available, the hope is that these infrastructure changes will draw businesses to open up shop in Kansas City and in Austin. Watch more here: Access is the main theme of cities all over the country and the world. In New York City, the Digital Roadmap was rolled out in the Spring of 2011. NYC explains that “Universal Acccess to the Internet is the foundation of a truly connected city and an essential part of New York's digital roadmap. With a focus on bridging the digital divide to serve all New Yorkers, Mayor Bloomberg is committed to expanding the reach of high-speed internet across the five boroughs.” NYC now has 26 parks served by AT&T WiFi and has plans to bring cell phone reception to the subway. New York boasts that 72 schools have been empowered by “connected learning grants” that have serves 16,000 students. For all of NYC’s proposals you can read about it here. Whether it is Google, or AT&T, or NYC Digital Roadmap, it is clear that in order to improve schools, to build the businesses of tomorrow, and to create jobs, the Internet, and more importantly, the access to it is extremely necessary.