Google announces Kansas City, Kan., will get first high-speed broadband network

Associated Press | March 30, 2011 – 11:49 AM

KANSAS CITY, Kan. – Search engine Google says it’s planning to bring its high-speed broadband network to Kansas City, Kan.

The company announced Wednesday on its official blog that the city is the first to get the new program. Google says its ultrafast network would be capable of making Internet access more than 100 times faster than the broadband connection in most U.S. homes.

More than 1,100 cities throughout the country made bids to become a test site for the network, which would provide Internet connections of 1 gigabit per second to up to 500,000 people.

Milo Medin, Google’s vice president of access services, said in choosing a city the goal was to find someplace it could build efficiently, make an impact on the community and develop relationships with local government and community organizations.

44 Comments

Baci

about 13 years ago

Good effort on all fronts everyone.

nodnetni

about 13 years ago

If you look at the "List of government responses" from Google's page, Kansas City isn't even listed.

Lucky SOBs.

Danny G

about 13 years ago

Crap.  There goes my April Fool's joke for Friday's DDD.

samh

about 13 years ago

In reply to nodnetni: Especially since Topeka, KS pretended to rename itself "Google, KS."

Bad Cat!

about 13 years ago

Aww man. Well, there were so many interested cities that the odds were really against us, but I'm confident that we probably made Google's "let's look further at these cities" list.

Paul Lundgren

about 13 years ago

Aw, Weepy Gigabit.

tony

about 13 years ago

I blame Google Goes to Twin Ports.

Paul Lundgren

about 13 years ago

This reminds me of a PDD post from four years ago.

Derek Montgomery

about 13 years ago

We still got Charter Communications!!!

Terry G.

about 13 years ago

Sa ... but - in the video they did say Kansas City is the first of three cities and I highly doubt that another Kansas city (e.g., Topeka) would be selected.

adam

about 13 years ago

Surprise! Oh, wait. No. 

You thought major infrastructure was going to be built in an area where it could expand to... nowhere? Unless it was an exercise in building a closed system, D-Town never had much of a chance. For many reasons. Including:

"...It is a suburb of Kansas City, Missouri and is the third largest city in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, a region of over two million people." [Wikipedia]

Not hatin'. Just pointing out to the shill cheerleaders that you should do some research instead of spending all your time jumping up and down.

Butt Mom

about 13 years ago

Kansas City Kansas is a cool city.

Ben Damman

about 13 years ago

Uh, I didn't hear that Duluth lost. Only that Kansas City, Kansas (not even the Missouri side) is the first to be picked.

Google has stated repeatedly that it could be more than one city. But in the official video from today's announcement I'd like to point out that Larry Page says quite clearly that they are "rolling out fiber to communities, starting with Kansas City":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1o7bKLG3A3w&feature=player_embedded#t=78s

I wish they would be more clear about these things, but when Page says it like see, I see enough evidence to keep the faith.

Claire

about 13 years ago

I don't know about you all, but I intend to continue jumping up and down, shouting at Google, "Look at Duluth! LOOK AT DULUTH!"

Ben Damman

about 13 years ago

Jumps up and down up and down up and down!

nodnetni

about 13 years ago

Maybe a good turnout at tomorrows Android BarCamp, down at the deck, will help us be next...

http://www.androidbarcamp.com/

TimK

about 13 years ago

Is it me, or does my internet connection seem slower...?

Bret

about 13 years ago

Keep up the work!  At least two more cities to be names it seems.

Rougement

about 13 years ago

Tony has a point.

Adem

about 13 years ago

This is disheartening. What will I pray for the next time Charter cuts out? But I guess we can stay hopeful. What other choice do we have?

Every time I heard people listing off all the reasons fiber would be so beneficial, I couldn't help but think "why wait"? If it's a good thing to do, then why don't we just do it for ourselves? Is it really only worth it if we get it for free?

Should we Stauber-ize ourselves into our little holes? Shun the hopeful future vision of high-speed rail and high-speed data, cut all funding, close all the schools, close the shutters, wall off the Mexicans---

I forget where I was going with that...

"It's not what you hope for, it's not what you deserve, it's what you take." But, failing that, here's hoping that we're second on the list. We deserve it as much as anyplace.

Jim

about 13 years ago

I blame the people that blame "Google Goes to Twin Ports." And those blamers too...

spooman

about 13 years ago

Maybe we can form a commission to lure Google regular speed internet to Duluth, and spend $40-$60k each year to fund it even though the project is dead.

Tom

about 13 years ago

According to the consensus opinion on AreaVoices, we need to blame the evil DFL leadership that is out to destroy the city.  Additionally, Duluth is the worst city of all-tine because it didn't become the first city in the world to get Google Fiber.

Claire

about 13 years ago

I'm sure the chihuahuas over at that other blog are blaming me for it -- or the Duluth Fire Department. 

Seriously, Jim might have a point. That movie might have had something to do with it. As I've said before, it perpetuated a lot of negative stereotypes Californians have of Midwesterners -- and it wasn't shot during the most visually enticing  time of year here. 

Oh well, win some, lose some. Google's loss. I'd rather be here than in Kansas.

Ben Damman

about 13 years ago

"That movie did nothing to hurt us whatsoever," said the voice of God.

Don Ness

about 13 years ago

Here's how I look at this...

By strict statistics, we had less than one-tenth of one percent chance of achieving this.  

Only one city (so far) has been chosen, and it wasn't us.  Is that reason to place blame?  Or to poison what was a positive community-based effort?  

Here's what is important to me - for once, we in Duluth saw an opportunity and we went for it.  

Is there any out there who would say that because of our effort we greatly increased our odds from being one of 1,100?  I don't think there is any question that Duluth was one of a dozen or so communities in serious consideration.  And that's solely because of the effort of folks in our city and we should be rightfully proud of that.

Don't blame any volunteer who gave an ounce of energy to this effort.  Let's take this time to thank EVERYONE who poured their heart into this thing for 3 months (and longer).

Thanks to Chris, Ben, Joe, Kate, Patrick, Ozone, Brian, Rob, Lisa, Baci, Anna, Manny, Drew, Jayson, Paul and literally hundreds more for everything you have done for this effort.

Not being selected is not defeat.  We didn't get what we wanted, but we made a hell of a lot of progress in the meantime. This isn't a game show where you lose and you go home - yeah, we weren't selected, but let's look at what we accomplished with this thing and build on it so when the next thing comes along, we'll be in a better position to go after it.

jb007

about 13 years ago

Don't blame any volunteer who gave an ounce of energy to this effort. Let's take this time to thank EVERYONE who poured their heart into this thing for 3 months (and longer).

Thanks to Chris, Ben, Joe, Kate, Patrick, Ozone, Brian, Rob, Lisa, Baci, Anna, Manny, Drew, Jayson, Paul and literally hundreds more for everything you have done for this effort.

Baci

about 13 years ago

Hear, hear! From my perspective, the best thing to come out of this process so far has been the feeling that Duluth is and can be a technology hub. There a lot of cool stuff going on here and the local IT industry/scene is really taking off. Sure, Google fiber would have given that a shot in the arm but it's already happening, maybe in a more sustainable way.

KayeOh

about 13 years ago

I live just south of Kansas City, KS(KCK to the locals), and until I heard about it on the local NPR station yesterday, I didn't even know that KCK was in the running.  The local KC news coverage had only talked about Topeka's goofy name changing to Google and never once mentioned anyone else in the region being in the running.  Everyone around here is kind of asking huh?  I plan on moving to Duluth soon, so I wish that Duluth had gotten it.  I'm not sure what better KCK has to offer other than a centralized location.  KCK can always use any good news.  It is usually treated as a downtrodden stepsister of Kansas City, MO and the wealthier suburbs KS suburbs to the south.

Bad Cat!

about 13 years ago

Duluth is a great city and we did a great job of letting Google know what we have to offer. We don't know what their prerequisites were (it may have been something as simple as Kansas City having more accessible maintenance tunnel infrastructure). Google still may look our way, but until then, the naysayers on Area Voices can just suck it!

Timk

about 13 years ago

It's not as though Google Fiber was going to make us skinny or debt-free. But it did show that the community can rally behind a good idea (despite trolls, Area Voices and the DCB).

Janie

about 13 years ago

Thanks to everyone who worked on this!  If we keep supporting new tech industries, good things will happen.

patty

about 13 years ago

Mayor Ness is correct: we didn't lose.  We can use the energy and creativity that went in to our Google efforts for other potential new businesses.  And, I'm with Claire; Google is still going to select some other locations; maybe they're saving the best for last!

tony

about 13 years ago

By the way, I was just joking about blaming the Google movie. It's actually Iron Will that should be held accountable.

Claire

about 13 years ago

Look at it this way: maybe Duluth isn't right for what Google requires, which is the point Adam made. But maybe another company will hear about everything that Duluth did to entice Google, including that great video someone produced, I can't remember who, that showcased Duluth in all her glory. Who knows -- only good can come out of all this community spirit that so many people displayed. We might not get Google, but we may land someone else.

pbroman

about 13 years ago

One point I've heard several people make. Please don't forget:

Google is rolling out fiber in SEVERAL communities. Kansas City is the first. Not the only... the first. 

I still believe we have a great chance.

Let's keep the torch lit everyone. KC was in a better position geographically and demographically, among other factors. We have many other positive things to offer.

Claire

about 13 years ago

pbroman, I think if Google visited Duluth in the summer, when California is at its hottest and brownest, they'd be sold. Summer in Duluth is pretty glorious.

Jesus

about 13 years ago

TIM the troll

wildgoose

about 13 years ago

I've listened to the criticism on twitter and here and there in person, although I haven't even bothered with area voices, I rarely do.  

As far as I can tell many of the people making Monday morning quarterback prognostications were predicting the demise of this bid back in February.  2010, that is.  Others are critical now but they did little or nothing back during the campaign and quickly forgot about it til now.  In other words, they don't have much skin in the game and I'm all for discourse but that doesn't stop me from saying "put up or shut up" next time.  

On the other hand the people "in the know" who actually understand this process are expressing reasonable disappointed metered with ... gasp ... optimism that google said all along that they are looking for one OR MORE communities to roll this out in and that Duluth-Superior could certainly continue to be in the running.  

As for the Google Movie naysayers, almost no one watched the movie.  The more organic videos like the (excellent) metal head in the woods short, Al Franken's answer man, and the "fake Mayor" drew much more buzz.  But by far the most watched video of the whole campaign, as in nationwide, was the iconic video of Don Ness in his Hillsider shirt jumping into Lake Superior.  The mayor showed excellent leadership on this, and he still is.  Taking chances, being positive and not giving up are far better than sitting around and bitching about something.  Even if Google Fiber never comes this campaign was a very worthy investment just for drawing together a community with diverse perspectives around a common goal.  I can't wait to see the Mayor (and the rest of us) do that again.

pbroman

about 13 years ago

Yeah... just sayin. THIS guy's gonna be PISSED when he finds out Duluth didn't get Google Fiber.

zra

about 13 years ago

Fiber rummage. I'm almost afraid to ask.

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