Imagine sitting in a rural health
clinic, streaming three-dimensional medical imaging over the web and
discussing a unique condition with a specialist in New York. Or
downloading a high-definition, full-length feature film in less than
five minutes. Or collaborating with classmates around the world while
watching live 3-D video of a university lecture. Universal, ultra
high-speed Internet access will make all this and more possible. Google
has urged the FCC to look at new and creative ways to get there in its
National Broadband Plan – and Google has embarked upon experiment of
their own.
Google is planning to build and test ultra high-speed broadband networks
in a small number of trial locations across the United States. They will
deliver Internet speeds more than 100 times faster than what most
Americans have access to today with 1 gigabit per second,
fiber-to-the-home connections. They plan to offer service at a
competitive price to at least 50,000 and potentially up to 500,000
people.
Their goal is to experiment with new ways to help make Internet access
better and faster for everyone. Here are some specific things that they
have in mind:
Next generation apps: They want
to see what developers and users can do with ultra high-speeds,
whether it's creating new bandwidth-intensive "killer apps" and
services, or other uses we can't yet imagine.
New deployment techniques: They
will test new ways to build fiber networks, and to help inform
and support deployments elsewhere, they will share key lessons
learned with the world.
Openness and choice: They will
operate an "open access" network, giving users the choice of
multiple service providers. And consistent with their
past advocacy,
they will manage their network in an open, non-discriminatory
and transparent way.
Like their WiFi
network in Mountain View, the purpose of this project is to experiment
and learn. Network providers are making real progress to expand and
improve high-speed Internet access, but there's still more to be done.
Google doesn't think we have all the answers – but through their trial,
they hope to make a meaningful contribution to the shared goal of
delivering faster and better Internet for everyone.
As a first step, Google is putting out a request for information (RFI)
to help identify interested communities. We welcome responses from local
government, as well as members of the public. If you'd like to respond,
visit
this page to learn more, or check out
this video:
They will collect responses until March 26, and will announce our target
communities later this year. Stay tuned.
