Google Fiber is Coming to Charlotte

It's official! Google Fiber announced today that Charlotte is one of the next cities to receive their residential Gigabit Internet service.

We believe that Google Fiber will have a profound impact on our community in the following ways:

• Economic development. The killer app for local fiber networks is economic development. Specific areas where it could help our region include: Healthcare, Clean Energy, Education and Workforce Development, Advanced Manufacturing, Emergency Preparedness and Public Safety, and Transportation.
• Attracting talent. Creatives, software developers, web designers, advanced manufacturers, videographers...all examples of who could be attracted to live in our region with a fiber infrastructure. Not only will the individuals see value in relocating here, but companies who are recruiting employees from out-of-area will be able to list it as a quality of life benefit for being here.
• Entrepreneurship has flourished where fiber networks have been installed. Real-time online gaming, live telepresence, editing videos and pictures in the cloud, distributed super-computing, marketplace for video editing, are all potential applications.
• Increase in competition improves ISP service levels and reduces prices. Areas without much competition are left behind. One of the benefits we've already seen from Google Fiber considering Charlotte is AT&T and TWC both committing to improve their offerings in the region.
• Improved community collaboration. Numerous people in Kansas City told us that the Google Fiber project brought together the two-state metro area more than anything seen to date. Groups started to work with each other to improve the good for the community. HOAs started pitching in to pay the fees for residents to access the fiber. Libraries, schools and faith based groups were heavily engaged as well.

As excited as we are to be selected, we also realize the hard work is just beginning. How do we leverage this new infrastructure to improve our community? How can we encourage entrepreneurs to build apps leveraging the increased speed, reduced latency, and improved quality of service? How do we make sure everyone is included and people are not left out?

These questions and more remain to be answered, and it won't be Google Fiber who answer them, it will be us. We the users of a Gigabit Internet infrastructure must be co-creators of the game plan. We encourage you to join us in this effort. Please encourage your friends to sign up for our newsletter and follow us on Twitter (@CltHeartsGb). Let's build the future together.

Gigabit update at CRTEC/BIG meeting January 21

Charlotte Hearts Gigabit co-founder Alan Fitzpatrick spoke at the joint CRTEC/BIG meeting January 21.  For presentation slides click here.

Presentation at CRTEC 1/21 on What Gigabit Internet Means for Charlotte. Recap video.

CRTEC is the Charlotte Regional Technology Executive Council. For further information on this organization click here.

BIG is the Business Innovation and Growth Council. For further information on this organization click here.

City of Charlotte Works to Close Digital Divide

Charlotte Hearts Gigabit co-founder Candice Langston reported that the City of Charlotte convened a group of representatives to discuss the “digital divide” in Charlotte. Attending organizations included the Charlotte Mecklenburg Public Library, the Knight Foundation, CMS, UNC Charlotte, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Housing Partnership and Queens University.

With the impending announcement from Google about the potential roll-out of Google Fiber in Charlotte, and with internet providers such as AT&T and Time Warner currently considering or already offering similar services, the challenge and opportunity to connect more of our citizens to the internet, and leverage the enormous advantage of gigabit connectivity, is emerging. 

The City of Charlotte is actively bringing more people with the knowledge of how to engage and activate our resources are coming to the table with ideas and solutions about how to close this divide.

The City is also taking a contingency to Kansas City to attend the Gigabit City Summit in January to learn more about these opportunities and challenges, and to network with other communities that have gigabit services or are in a similar position to Charlotte and are nearing a decision from Google on Google Fiber. Charlotte Hearts Gigabit co-founds Terry Cox and Alan Fitzpatrick also plan to attend.

City officials expect Google to make an announcement before the end of 2014 on the roll out of Google Fiber. 

Candice is on the City’s cabinet to study the digital divide issue and reported that there will be monthly meetings, the next one will take place on or around Jan 11th. 

Instead of Regulation, Let's Foster Competition

With all the rhetoric about net neutrality, we need to realize that competition, not regulation, is the driver for faster Internet speeds and lower costs. For example look at what happens when Google Fiber enters a market: CNET article

"Google Fiber has been the biggest driver of the fiber-to-the home movement," said Blair Levin, executive director of the Gig.U project and head of the committee that wrote the 2010 National Broadband Plan for the Federal Communications Commission. Blair isn't alone. FCC chairman Tom Wheeler said, “Competition drives broadband. It’s that simple.”

When the ISPs move too slowly municipalities have stepped in to build their own Gigabit Internet infrastructure (reference article). In North Carolina we can easily look to Wilson's Greenlight service and Salisbury's Fibrant service as examples of cities building their own infrastructure in advance of the competitive market.

Jonathan Feldman, CIO of the City of Asheville and a writer for Information Week wrote a great piece about ISP competition, The subtitle, for which we couldn't agree more, is "Competition, not massive regulation, is the best way to make the Internet open." For the complete article click here.

Gigabit Internet and the Digital Divide

Many of the Gigabit Fiber projects around the country are being deployed to neighborhoods with a build-to-demand approach. A recent Bernstein Research survey found that adoptions of the new Gigabit Fiber service varies with income, and higher income neighborhoods can show higher adoption rates. This stirs up questions about whether residents of poor or underserved neighborhoods will be left behind.

Yesterday a Wall Street Journal article focused on the issue of digital divide. The lower adoption rate of Gigabit service in lower income neighborhoods doesn't seem to be deterring Google Fiber. Their General Manager for Kansas City said that of the city's 20 lowest-income areas, 19 qualified for Google's fiber service. Some city officials are now requiring the ISPs to offer free service to schools, libraries and community centers as they build out their networks.

The ISPs seem to be stepping up. Google Fiber agreed to offer service in "economically distressed" neighborhoods and offers a slower service that is free for seven years, after a $300 installation fee. In North Carolina, AT&T also agreed to provide free service for seven years for up to 100 community centers, though cities or outside groups will have to pay connection costs.

It is clear that city officials and the ISPs are aware of the digital divide issue, and are making steps to address it. But will it be enough? Local organizations like Connecting for Good in Kansas City are stepping in to help. Connecting for Good is a nonprofit organization that has been bridging the Digital Divide since 2011 with wireless mesh networks, community technology centers, low cost refurbished PCs and free digital life skills classes.

For more information on the topics read the full Wall Street Journal article here: http://online.wsj.com/articles/google-fuels-internet-access-plus-debate-1408731700