Milwaukee vies for Google network pilot

Milwaukee mayor Tom Barrett and common council president Willie Hines Jr. have teamed up to ask for residents’ support in getting Google to launch a test pilot of its ultra high-speed broadband network in the Milwaukee area.
“As a city we’re just the right size for the Google Fiber project,” said Hines. “(We have) ample telecom infrastructure, and diverse neighborhoods featuring an array of residential housing styles. We’re not too big, but we’re also home to professional sports franchises, major colleges and universities, top-notch arts and culture, great ethnic and music festivals, and Fortune 500 employers such as Manpower, Harley-Davidson Motor Company, Northwestern Mutual Life and Johnson Controls International.”
Google has said it plans to test the ultra-high speed broadband networks in one or more trial locations across the country. The network can reportedly deliver Internet speeds more than 100 times faster than what most Americans have access to today, over 1 gigabit per second, fiber-to-the-home connections.
City officials say the project could create hundreds of jobs and bring tens of millions of dollars in infrastructure investment.
“I’m hoping this Google search leads to Milwaukee jobs,” Barrett said.
Residents in the Milwaukee area are encouraged to visit the Google website to say why the Milwaukee community should be selected for the project. http://www.google.com/appserve/fiberrfi/public/options.