Since Google announced plans to build and test an ultra-high speed Internet network in a small number of trial locations across the U.S., Tempe has begun a campaign to be one of the test locations.
Tempe has the same opportunity to be chosen as every other community in the country, but Tempe officials are pushing to receive the fiber optic network, which will make Web browsing 100 times faster.
Onnie Shekerjian, chair of Tempe City Council’s Committee on Technology, Economic and Community Development, said Tempe has a good chance of being selected by Google’s campaign.
“Google put the campaign out to the world that they were going to test the pilot program,” she said. “They put it out as a challenge with the country.”
Tempe residents can apply for the network through Google’s Web site or the official Tempe Web site.
Responses will be evaluated and ranked by a selection team chosen by Google and the winner will be announced later this year.
Shekerjian said that as soon as the Tempe community found out about the fiber optic cable, responses in support of the idea began to pour in.
“I was surprised that so many people wanted us to investigate it,” she said. “We already knew about it and are in the process of applying.”
Erin Fors, a Google spokeswoman, said the goal is to experiment with new ways to help make Internet access faster and better for everybody.
“We’ll deliver Internet speeds more than 100 times faster than what most Americans have access to today,” she said.
With this technology, the fiber-to-the-home connections can reach speeds of 1 gigabit per second, she said.
The average broadband speed in the U.S. is currently 3 megabits per second, according to a 2008 report by the Federal Communications Commission. Fiber optics uses glass or plastic that carries light along the line, which allows information to be transmitted faster and over longer distances than traditional wires.
Jamison Rupnik, a biochemistry senior, said a college town is the best location for Google to choose because students use the Internet more than anyone else.
“We need the Internet to access school files, research and to communicate between schools,” he said. “The faster and more efficient the Internet is working, the better it is. It’s more likely you won’t run into problems.”
The fiber optic cable would allow for a better use of the Internet, which would increase the ease of user access and the ability to surf it with a greater speed, he said.
Shekerjian said if Google selects Tempe, it would be beneficial for residents and the economy.
“In terms of development, it will bring companies here if the companies know they have access to Internet that is 100 times faster. Time is money,” she said.
If more companies come to Tempe, that means more job opportunities for students, Shekerjian said.
Kris Baxter, a spokeswoman for Tempe, said the application deadline is March 26. Tempe is applying and residents can endorse their city for the contest, she said.
“We want to show Google what we can do with the fiber optics,” she said. “We are asking people to submit photos, videos and tweets to the Tempe Web site and YouTube.”
ASU students are vitally important, Baxter said, and part of the application asks about the number of students that live in the area.
“Google values ASU and we really want students to get involved,” she said.
Reach the reporter at mmbarke1@asu.edu
