The City of Sioux City is applying to become a trial community for Google’s new ultra high speed fiber optic project. Google’s “Fiber for Communities” project is the company’s current experiment in deploying fiber optic networks capable of offering internet speeds up to 1-gigabyte per second. Such speeds are roughly 100-500 times faster than most widely available commercial and residential internet connections. Google’s plans to offer ultra high speed internet service to 50,000 – 500,000 people in one or more communities nationwide, and is accepting applications from communities interested in being a test location.

Google’s new fiber optic network will be open for use by local internet service providers, offering the potential for greatly enhanced content and service offered to local residents and businesses. The City has identified several uses for ultra high speed networks in Sioux City, pointing to the importance of internet speed in cutting edge medical care, education, and business development.

Google has stressed the importance of community support within their trial community, and we are asking residents and businesses in Sioux City to take 5 minutes to complete the a short online public interest survey. The results will become part of the City’s application to Google, and your participation is very important. Please visit http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/siouxcitygoogle

To learn more about the Google project and to nominate Sioux City as a trial community visit http://www.google.com/appserve/fiberrfi