Towns try luring Google to test new Internet

A push-up contest, a “Google moment” and town rallies are just a few of the off-beat projects that N.C. towns have made in an attempt to be chosen for Google’s new high-speed internet — Google Fiber.

Google will select several cities to test the new Internet, which downloads 1 gigabit per second, based on applications turned in by local governments and private citizens on behalf of their communities.

Asheville ranked seventh and Greensboro ranked ninth among the top 10 communities most interested in the new Internet in a national study completed by Steketee Greiner Co.

The organization used Internet activity — such as how often people blogged or tagged about the contest in relation to a city — to gauge contestants’ interest, company founding partner David Greiner said.

More than 600 groups applied to try the Internet at a competitive price by the March 26 deadline, including Chapel Hill. Public interest will be a major factor in selecting communities for the trial.

Residents in Chapel Hill, Greensboro and Asheville all created Facebook groups to support their towns’ push for the new Internet.

In Asheville, town members participated in a “Google moment,” where they simultaneously submitted individual nominations for the new Internet.

Asheville also saw several rallies in support of the campaign.

“It has made a big stir,” said Esther Manheimer, a member of the Asheville City Council.

In Greensboro, City Council member Robbie Perkins completed 50 push-ups to support the new Internet.

Perkins said that Winston-Salem Mayor Allen Joines challenged Greensboro’s Mayor Bill Knight and High Point Mayor Becky Smothers to a push-up contest to show their interest in Google Fiber, and he exercised on the Knight’s behalf.

“The Internet could draw businesses to Greensboro,” Perkins said.

He also said that Greensboro’s many colleges and universities could help to attract Google’s attention.

Manheimer said that she thought that Asheville has a good bid at the service because of its art scene, diversity and many businesses.

But Asheville City Council member Cecil Bothwell said he thought Asheville does not stand a great chance at being chosen, despite the findings of the national study.

“I think that it would be much too expensive,” Bothwell said, citing the hilly terrain and lack of established infrastructure as preventative to the new system.

But Greiner said that no one knows for sure how Google will select the trial communities.

“I think that online participation is a very strong indication of how excited a community is,” Greiner said.

He said that his company is not affiliated with Google and he is not sure that Google will take his study into account, but he wouldn’t be surprised if they considered Internet activity.

“It’s the space that Google plays in,” Greiner said.



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