A2Fiber – A Healthy Supplement to Your Technology Diet
A2Fiber has quickly splashed into the spotlight – with articles appearing on AnnArbor.com and Crain’s as well as all over Facebook and Twitter. So what is everyone talking about? What is A2Fiber?
Google plans to launch an experiment that will make Internet access much better and much faster for everyone! Google will select one or more trial locations to test their super-high speed broadband networks. They plan to install a fiber optic network that will stream data at 1 gigabit per second, about 100 times faster than most Americans get through their current cable and DSL providers. With the fiber optic network, video conference would run so smooth you would feel like the other person is in the room with you. Downloading an entire movie rental would now take five minutes instead of an hour. The time saved is almost unimaginable.
Super-fast speeds aren’t the only thing that Google is looking to improve with this experiment. Their hope is that the ultra-fast Internet connection will lead to ‘next generation apps, new deployment techniques and openness and choice.’
Google has said “the level of community support†could be a critical factor when it decides where to build, which is why the City of Ann Arbor, the University of Michigan and local high-tech leaders have collaborated to form A2Fiber.com. The goal of the website is to spread the word to the community on why a Google Fiber network would not only improve the quality of life in Ann Arbor, but also bring new jobs by solidifying Ann Arbor as the technological hub of Michigan.
With no up-front investment required, high-tech companies would quickly relocate to Ann Arbor to take advantage of the high-speed Internet available. With several companies relocating, this would obviously create more jobs in our community. This would also bring the opportunity of new public-private partnerships, which would further strengthen the area’s long tradition of encouraging innovation, entrepreneurship and business development.
The competition however is fierce. Several cities want the opportunity to have the fiber optic network tested in their city. It was recently announced that Topeka, Kansas has renamed itself Google, Kansas for a month in hopes of increasing their chances of brining the fiber optic network to their city.
City of Ann Arbor and University of Michigan officials are putting together an application to send to Google before the March 26 deadline. Go to A2fiber.com to learn more about their efforts.