City Council passes resolution for Google Fiber

Council hopes to push Columbia as technology capitol of the Midwest.

By Matthew Patane

Published March 16, 2010

Columbia took a formal step toward applying for Google's trial fiber-optic network during last night's City Council meeting.

The council passed a resolution that allows City Manager Bill Watkins to apply for the Internet trial by the March 26 deadline. Google is accepting applications from cities across the nation for a new, high-speed Internet service it is planning to provide.

Regional Economic Development Inc. has worked with community groups and businesses to spread the word about Google Fiber and to promote a community response and participation throughout the process of creating an application for Columbia.

REDI President Mike Brooks said a task group has been created.

"The task group involves businesses, education and other parts of the community," Brooks said. "Our goal at REDI has been to facilitate discussion instead of telling people what the document has to look like specifically."

The Reynolds Journalism Institute has also been involved in raising awareness and in the application to send to Google in addition to the council's formal request for information. The institute has worked with REDI and other community groups to write a document highlighting four key areas that make Columbia a good pick for Google. Those four areas include telehealth, expanded educational opportunities, civic engagement and strong business and consumer relationships.

Telehealth, according to the document, deals with delivering health care services over the Internet. A faster connection through Google Fiber would make this process quicker and more efficient, the document states.

"Our joint efforts have produced a document with big ideas that have merchandized Columbia as a good choice for Google and RJI stands ready to collaborate with the city of Columbia," Technology Testing Center Manager Keith Politte said.

COMOFiber, a community organization, has worked mainly to spread the word to residents about Google Fiber and the opportunities that are possible for Columbia.

"The community effort is ridiculously large (for Google Fiber) compared to other community efforts in the past," COMOFiber member Ian Eyberg said. "The community has too much to gain and too much to lose to not take this opportunity. We are losing too many jobs to California and other states, and there is a possibility that Columbia could become the technology capitol of the Midwest."

The council also discussed what Columbia could do if Google does not choose the city as one of its trial locations, focusing on the possibility for the city to still grow as a technological center.

In response to questions from the council, Brooks said COMOFiber was able and ready to bring Columbia to the next technological level.

Regardless of Google's decision, it is important for residents of Columbia to promote the city as a good place for high-tech companies and innovation, First Ward Councilman Paul Sturtz said.

"It's sort of a gradual process, but Columbia can become a haven for technology through the alliances that have been formed such as the one between RJI and the new group COMOFiber," Sturtz said. "I think we are already up in the top five of tech-savvy communities in the U.S. when it comes to the amount of people who use the Internet."

Columbia's Information Service Director Robert Simms will be responsible for the city's formal application to Google.