Google Fiber for Communities:
This article was sent to me by a friend who knew I was on dial-up internet access:
Your new ISP? Google launches 1Gbps fiber-to-the-home trial

he also sent me this link:
Google Fiber for Communities
Google is planning to launch an experiment that we hope will make Internet access better and faster for everyone. We plan to test ultra-high speed broadband networks in one or more trial locations across the country. Our networks will 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. We'll offer service at a competitive price to at least 50,000 and potentially up to 500,000 people.

From now until March 26th, we're asking interested municipalities to provide us with information about their communities through a Request for information (RFI), which we'll use to determine where to build our network.


If you are interested in bringing this to your area, go to:
http://www.google.com/appserve/fiberrfi/public/options
Get involved: Request for information

Google is asking local governments and residents to express their interest in the fiber optic trial, and to provide information about their community by completing our request for information.
There are 2 options at this page:
For local government: Tell us how much your community would like to join the trial and about existing facilities and resources in the community.
For residents and community groups: If you'd like a Google fiber optic trial in your community, complete this section of the request for information.


I live in a rural area in Citrus County, Florida. The only choices for internet access on my road is: dial-up, satellite internet, and internet via cell phone.
The latter 2 are way too expensive.
I am on dial-up access, and on a good day, I can connect at 38kbps, usually my connection is 26-28kbps.
Most things beyond just e-mail access for me is out. I can't watch videos, I can't stream audio. I can't use voice or video chat. Most web sites just won't function well with dial-up anymore.
I am disabled, and sometimes the internet is my connection to the world, and that is a very limited connection.
If there is something I have to do requiring hi-speed ( downloading a large file, or watching a video, or downloading a large audio podcast ), I would have to go to someone's home that has it, or go to the public library.
I am asking Google to please consider putting Google Fiber for Communities in our area.
I am now asking my fellow residents of Citrus County, and of Florida, to do the same. This will be a massive improvement for all of us. It will not only affect our access to information, but it will affect our wallets, and it will affect our service providers. They will have to take notice, and start offering more services, better services, and at a lower price.
This is a message to City, County, and State officials of Florida: If you want to do something for your community, and it's citizens, please take part in this also.
Thanks.