KIRKSVILLE, MO. -- A couple months ago the City of Kirksville applied for a Google fiber internet connection. Google approached U.S. cities as part of the “Google Fiber for Communities” project.
Members of the Kirksville community have marketed the city to Google representatives as a diverse rural community that could truly benefit from the fiber network.
“We’ve got a rural community which we believe Google will find attractive, but a rural community that also has some pretty unique aspects: three educational institutes, a great healthcare system, being a hub for an entire section of the state,” said Director of the Truman Institute Kevin Minch, PhD.
A fiber network would be 100 times faster than most current internet connections.
“That’s a pretty big leap forward in terms of broadband and very few communities can say that they even approach that kind of bandwidth. And it has pretty significant implications for education, healthcare, economic development in the community if we were to be chosen,” said Director of the Truman Institute Kevin Minch, PhD.
Google says they will choose one out of 1100 communities to receive the fiber network. Out of those 11 00 cities that applied, Kirksville is currently ranked 7th for community support.
Minch says Google promises to make a decision by the end of the year. Regardless of their decision, those involved with the project say this won’t be the end of the push for better technology.
“What we would like to do is be ready that day when Google says ‘you’re in or you’re out’ to be able to look at grants to look at infrastructure, see what ways we as a community can come together to make this happen,” said Minch.
Minch encourages community members to continue to participate in the project. He says you can visit the fiber for Kirksville website or their facebook page.
Here is a link to the initiative’s website. http://www.fiber4kirksville.info/
Here is a link to their Facebook page: Click Here
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