Google eyes Chicago for high-speed Internet service
By Meg Graham Blue Sky Innovation
Google said Tuesday it was eyeing expansion of Google Fiber, its
superfast Internet service, to Chicago and Los Angeles.
In a company blog post, Jill Szuchmacher, director of Google Fiber
expansion, said the company will work with city leaders to collect
information and study factors that could affect construction of such a
network. The company says its service offers speeds of up to 1,000
megabits per second and is already live in Kansas City, Mo.; Austin,
Texas; and Provo, Utah.
At such speeds, the company says, a customer could download a
high-definition movie in about 7 seconds.
The statewide average broadband speed in Illinois is 31.2 Mbps,
according to data from BroadbandNow, a comparison and research website.
“While we can’t guarantee that we’ll be able to bring Fiber to
Chicago and L.A., this is a big step for these cities and their
leaders,” Szuchmacher said in the post.
The post also highlighted the potential for Fiber to lure tech
talent to Chicago.
“In Chicago, fiber Internet will help bolster a fast-growing startup
scene by fueling incubators like 1871, venture capital funds like
Chicago Ventures and hundreds of small businesses,” she said. “With the
help of the city’s leadership, Internet speeds can help attract more
tech talent and add to the 40,000 tech jobs that exist across the Windy
City.”
Mayor Rahm Emanuel agreed, saying in a statement that Google Fiber
would be "a key ingredient for job growth."
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*================================================ Duane Whittingham -
N9SSN (ARES/RACES, EmComm, Skywarn & Red Cross)
http://www.radiodude.info ================================================*
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