The City of Redding will join what is expected to be scores of communities across the
country attempting to convince Google to build an ultra high-speed broadband network in
its community.
The City Council on Tuesday (March 16) directed City staff to respond to a
comprehensive “RFI” or Request for Information sought by the software giant as part of
its plans to offer ultra-fast Internet access to one or more communities in the United
States. The Mountain View, California software company recently announced plans to
construct an experimental fiber optic network that would be more than 100 times faster
than the typical residential Internet connection. The network would be made available to
at least 50,000, and as many as 500,000, people and offered to customers at
“competitive” pricing.
In order to make its decision – expected by the end of 2010 – Google is soliciting
information from interested municipalities and/or residents and community groups. The
comprehensive RFI seeks information about a wide range of community characteristics,
including demographics, geography, utility infrastructure and the local economy.
In addition to formal municipality responses, residents and community groups are invited
to submit requests on behalf of their community and Redding residents are encouraged to
participate. A link to the interactive forms can be found at the City of Redding web site at
http://www.ci.redding.ca.us/ or directly at the Google web site at
www.google.com/appserve/fiberrfi.
The City is working cooperatively with the Greater Redding Chamber of Commerce,
which has retained Mary Machado to lead a Get Google! community-support campaign.
For information on how to promote Redding’s bid for the Google project, you may
contact Ms. Machado at mary@shastavoices.com or (530) 222-5251.
