Here’s a press release we’ll be sending out about our intent to explore Google’s offer to bring gigabyte speed broadband to an entire community. There are many unanswered questions and any application may be a long shot, but it would be a game-changer for Duluth. I think it’s worth putting our best foot forward and see what happens… If you want to help out, check the bottom of the post. See you around… Don
Mayor Don Ness has indicated the City of Duluth‘s intent to pursue a partnership with Google to bring fiber-to-home connections to city residents. Google plans to select a community to test ultra-high speed connections at more than a gigabit per second later this year through a competitive process.
The following is a statement from Mayor Ness on the city’s intent:
We want Duluth, Minnesota to be at the forefront of a new gigaband revolution in America. For America to be competitive into the future, we need to be aggressive at investing in our data infrastructure. To unfairly paraphrase Tip O’Neill “All bandwidth use is local” – Google’s community initiative will be a powerful tool to demonstrate the positive impact of local broadband improvements.
Duluth is a city which has successfully reinvented itself. Once a poster-child for post-industrial decline (nation’s second-highest unemployment in 1983), Duluth is now a healthy regional center with creative entrepreneurs who are drawn to Duluth for its authentic north woods spirit and natural beauty.
Duluth is successful because of the spirit of the people who live here – by giving gigaband fiber to these folks, unimaginable success would be possible. We have leaders who are aggressively looking for the next big idea, the next game-changer.
Our nation’s rebirth will be found in places like Duluth – cities who have tasted the bitter pill of decline and have had the courage to set a different course. Duluth is not yet the city we want to be, but we’re making progress. And with this partnership with Google, we will be so much more.
Please join our efforts. Please visit Google’s nomination page to nominate Duluth. And send an e-mail to giga.for.duluth@gmail.com to join the team. More to come…
Don Ness
Mayor of Duluth
