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Area Development - Site Selection, Facility Planning and Workforce Development

Kansas City, Kansas, Picked as Pilot City for Google Fiber for Communities

03/31/2011
Google has selected Kansas City, Kansas, as the first site of its "Fiber for Communities" program. The initiative will bring Google broadband fiber to businesses, residences, government, and schools that is 100 times faster than services that are currently available.

Google announced the project in February 2010. About 1,100 cities around the United States applied to be selected as the pilot location for the initiative. Google aims to reach at least 50,000 - and up to 500,000 - people.

Through the program, Kansas City users will have 1-gigabit-per-second, fiber-to-the-home connections at competitive prices.

According to a Washington Post blog, Google chose Kansas City for the efficiency of building a network there, ability to positively affect the community, and create relationships with local government.

The Kauffman Foundation, KCNext, and the University of Kansas Medical Center are among local organizations that will work with Google on the initiative.

Google expects to begin offering the service in 2012.

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