Fiber Optics Can Bring High Speed Internet To Homes

Ever since Google announced their plans to bring gigabyte fiber-to-the-home around the U.S., cities have been going gaga over the potential high speed juices.  New Orleans understands the impact that high speed access to the Internet would have on our city.  Today (March 26th), is the deadline to back this cause and local technologist Barrett Conrad, who is working with the NOLA Fiber Group sends this message out to the community:

"I am writing to you today about the local initiative to bring the Google Fiber for Communities to New Orleans. I have worked with a group of tireless individuals over the past few weeks to build support and draft the city's application for this incredible project.

Google Fiber, as it is called, is an experiment by the company to bring a city wide fiber optic network to a community of 50,000 to 500,000 people. A purely fiber optic network would offer Internet speeds 100 times faster than currently available. Internet at this speed only exists in a handful of locations in the US and represents uncharted territory in Internets potential.

We believe New Orleans has the perfect combination of creativity, character and forward movement to embrace such a unique opportunity. The effects of fiber go beyond faster Internet downloads. They will alter how we educate, govern, work and live. The economic impact of this project cannot be overstated and matches perfectly with the growing startup and entrepreneurial environment of the city."

We talked to Mr. Conard to ask, "Why should the community get involved?  Why should we care?"  His statement was short but made complete sense: Google fiber can transform a cities future, so why not transform New Orleans?

"We feel that NOLA Fiber has crafted a strong and distinct argument for bringing Google Fiber to our city.  Our commitment to the idea is not to get faster movie downloads, but to fundamentally alter out city. It will change our work, play, government, education and our perception in the world. Most important, the economic impact cannot be understated as the jobs of the future are driven and created here.  Bandwidth is the new oil. Google's fiber network will transform a city and its future; why not New Orleans?" - Barett Conrad

Let Google Know New Orleans Matters

There are two things you need to do:

1.  Please fill out the support form below for your company or organization and pass it on to anyone you know in New Orleans.

http://bit.ly/nolafiberpledge

2.  You can also fill out the resident and community group form to let Google know you support the project in New Orleans.

http://www.google.com/appserve/fiberrfi/public/options

That's it.  Take 15 to 20 mins out of your day to do something good for the city and support the NOLA Fiber cause.