Google Fiber for Communities

A2 Fiber - Amplify Your World

Imagine the whole world at your fingertips – at speeds faster than you ever thought possible.

A video conference without connection hiccups. A movie rental that takes five minutes to download, as opposed to an hour. Streaming videos of lectures taking place hundreds of miles away with resolution so precise that you can practically see the loose threads on the professor’s sports coat.

Or in another vein: High-tech companies relocating to Ann Arbor, thanks to immediately available high-speed Internet that requires no up-front investment. New public-private partnerships, further strengthening the area’s long tradition of encouraging innovation, entrepreneurship and business development.

These are just some of the features that Ann Arbor residents could enjoy thanks to Google, which announced February 10 that it plans to build and test ultra-high speed broadband networks in a small number of communities across the country. These lines will stream data at 1 gigabit per second, about 100 times faster than most Americans get through their current cable and DSL providers.

We believe the City of Ann Arbor should be one of the lucky communities to benefit from such a service.

Working together, City and the University of Michigan officials are putting together an application to send to Google before the March 26, 2010 deadline.

We believe a Google Fiber optic network would improve the lives of Ann Arbor residents in other ways as well. As Ann Arbor continues to solidify itself as the technological hub of Michigan, Google’s network would make the city nearly irresistible to companies already attracted to the city’s highly educated populace and its long tradition of innovation.

Yet, for all of this to happen, we need help from you. In its announcement, Google said the “the level of community support” could determine where they build their networks.

Your Mom always said you should make sure you get plenty of fiber. We couldn’t agree more.

What YOU can do Tell Google why Ann Arbor needs fiber and help spread the word. Google form - complete this form to nominate Ann Arbor (requires a Google or Gmail account) Facebook - Become an A2Fiber FAN! YouTube - Create your own or group video and upload Twitter - Follow the discussion Email - Sign-up for special notices Spread the word about this exciting opportunity Attend the City Council Google Fiber for Communities public hearing on Monday, March 15 at 7 p.m. at City Hall.