googlequerque

A couple brief updates...

2010-04-19T15:16:00.000-07:00

They may be from our Facebook page, but here's a brief update on matters related to connectivity here, around the world... and the shape of the future:

Ars Technica is a good source for legal, philosophical and technical issues related to broadband adoption and connectivity in general. Some of their latest is at:

http://arstechnica.com/t...elecom/news/2010/03/fiber-its-not-all-created-equal.ars/2

Communities United for Broadband is a new-ish facebook group that sprang up after the Google Gigabit Fiber deadline as a way of keeping the larger conversation going.

More at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Communities-United-for-Broadband/106218516077372#!/pages/Communities-United-for-Broadband/106218516077372)

Also from our facebook page:

...as we try to conceive that next generation of connected cities and communities, I've rarely fould a better post and set of videos than today at RWW (the Read Write Web). The IBM smarter planet video is short and really gets across the idea of a world with nearly ubiquitous 'things' that are ge...nerating data and some of the ways smart environments can use them.
Tim O'Reilly is pretty much always worth listening to -- but especially when he's looking at the near future.
http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/tim_oreilly_explains_the_internet_of_things.php

...

A few folks have asked about the status of Googlequerque, Albuquerque's proposal, etc. It's unlikely we'll hear much for some time, but regardless, the 'next steps' are pretty much the same:

1. Build awareness and adoption of broadband (to help drive prices down, to drive more adoptions, etc.)

2. "Think Big" and look at developing applications and systems that will use the near future's more connected environment

Meanwhile, there is some movement behind the scenes on the awareness/education piece. If you'd like to be part of that, please comment or let us know at connectabq@gmail.com

Google Fiber Project on KNME

2010-03-28T08:35:00.000-07:00

On this week's KNME's NM In Focus, Gene Grant and panelists (including Sophie Martin from Duke City Fix) have a good discussion of cities' attempts to pursue Google's Gigabit Fiber project. One thing they mention - that I completely agree with - is that in the end it won't be about funny videos or jumping in lakes and shark tanks, but which communities have submitted the strongest proposals. I think we've made a good case for Albuquerque.
KNME-TV, by the way is really thinking about how this kind of widely adopted high end broadband will change the nature of TV and media. A bit more about what they call "Public Media 2.0" to come!

(Good show -- the topic comes about 44 minutes in.)

Nominations Are In!

2010-03-26T16:47:00.000-07:00

The City of Albuquerque submitted its "Albuquerque's Creative Corridor" proposal today in response to Google's Fiber for Communities Project RFI.

It was truly a team effort, led by the city's Office of Economic Development, involving people from businesses, community organizations and plenty of individual residents who want better, more reliable access -- and the opportunity to use our local strengths and talents to shape and help build the next generation of connected experience.

Meanwhile, we plan to continue moving forward regarding broadband access and adoption. Watch these spaces for more information.

For a bit of the flavor of the proposal, please check out our video:

Looking for other updates on the Google Fiber for Communities project? There's this at their Blog:

Next steps for our experimental fiber network

City Announcement is Out!

2010-03-19T20:45:00.000-07:00

The City has Announced! And the Albuquerque Journal has the story...

ABQ Wants To Participate in Google Project

By Astrid Galvan

Friday, 19 March 2010 19:03

Experiment involves new ultra-high speed network expected to deliver Internet speeds at more than 100 times faster than what most subscribers have now

Albuquerque is applying to participate in a large Google experiment that could bring a new ultra-high speed Internet connection to town, officials said Friday.

The city is responding to a request for information recently announced by Google.

"Albuquerque is quickly becoming an emerging leader in telecommunications and high tech industries," Mayor Richard J. Berry said in a written statement. "Albuquerque's location, demographics, and expanding economy in advanced technology and clean manufacturing make us an ideal candidate for this exciting project."

The Google project involves a new ultra-high speed network that is expected to deliver Internet speeds more than 100 times faster than what most subscribers have now...

More at ABQ Wants To Participate in Google Project

Forum this Saturday @ RE-SOURCE

2010-03-18T08:42:00.000-07:00

We know there are plenty of questions -- and plenty of great ideas -- about what this experiment in widely available superfast connectivity could mean for our community.

If you'd like to know more, share and discuss your ideas, please join us this at 2PM Saturday at the RE-SOURCE Campus for Creativity (112 Gold SW) for a forum.

More info at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?v=app_2344061033&gid=379762423707

Make a Suggestion!

2010-03-17T03:00:00.000-07:00

One of the things Google is looking for -- and we're discussing locally -- is innovative ideas on what a community could do with this kind of connectivity. We're already seeing some really good suggestions and you can see some below (you may need to be logged in to a gmail account), but we'd like more. If you have suggestions or want to weigh in on what's been suggested already, please visit our Google Moderator site.

This Saturday afternoon, we're also planning a listening/discussion session downtown to discuss Google's Fiber for Communities initiative, solicit and discuss ideas... and maybe shoot a few brief videos as well. More info soon.

Video for GoogleQuerque!

2010-03-16T14:38:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone...

We're about to ramp up production of videos to support the idea of GoogleQuerque, asking you to create videos, join our YouTube group and upload pieces at our site: http://www.youtube.com/group/googlequerque

We're asking for videos that answer one or two questions:

What could we do with great connectivity in Albuquerque?
Why is Albuquerque a great place to really live, work and do business?

Helping answer the second question is a piece from our friends and neighbors at a local visual effects company that they created a couple years back and posted on Vimeo:

Albuquerque: The Unknown from Puzzled Pictures on Vimeo.

We're looking at a couple events to help capture your thoughts -- but don't wait for that! Shoot something and upload today!

What is Google's Fiber Initiative & Why does it matter?

2010-03-14T13:33:00.000-07:00

A few folks have asked what this is -- and why we should get involved and support it. Good questions.

Part of the group working on this has assembled a few talking points to help explain:

What is Google Fiber for Communities?

Did you know? Internet download speeds in the US lag behind 27 other countries including South Korea, Japan, Sweden, Netherlands, and Germany. [Source]

Studies have shown that high speed connectivity is correlated with job growth and job retention which means Albuquerque, like most American cities struggling with economic recession, is losing out. [Source]

To kickstart the development of ultra high speed internet in the US (100x faster than it is currently), Google is offering to build a high speed fiber backbone for one or even a few communities in America. Google would pay to build the backbone and then offer competitively-priced high speed service to residents and businesses in the area. It’s an experiment in which Google is intending to try new build-out techniques with rapid turnaround in order to stimulate economic development and stimulate competition in the broadband market, at no cost to local taxpayers.

Analysts estimate this represents an investment on Google’s part of anywhere from $60 million to $1.6 billion, depending on the size of the city they select. When was the last time someone invested that much in Albuquerque?

Learn more about the Google Fiber for Communities project.

Why does this matter to Albuquerque?

OPPORTUNITY: Ultra high speed internet will benefit Albuquerque by boosting services offered at area hospitals, connecting classrooms at APS, CNM, andUNM, and enabling the connectivity needed for our burgeoning film industry. And that’s just the beginning. Think about what YOU could make/build/accomplish if the internet was 100x faster than it is today.

REPUTATION FOR INNOVATION: All eyes will be watching the city selected to innovate with Google. You and I already know that Albuquerque is a rising star and a seat of innovation, but to sustain smart growth and high-paying jobs, we need the rest of the world to know this too.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: Where Google goes, others will follow. If some of the best minds in the world at Google believe Albuquerque is business-friendly, companies that haven’t looked twice at our region will be forced to reconsider. Furthermore, studies estimate that New Mexico stands to gain or retain 13,000 jobs through increased access to broadband. [Source]

COMPETITION: Most communities have only one, if any, telecommunications company willing to foot the bill for the infrastructure needed to build ultra high-speed internet access. Sadly, this is likely to mean a lack of competition when it comes to pricing and services for residents like us. Allowing Google to build in our community is simply good-old-fashioned American market economics.

OPENNESS: Google intends to provide “open access networks.” This means that our local ISPs and content providers will enjoy a competitive and open market rather than one regulated by cable or telco companies. According the U.S. FCC, open access encourages healthy competition. [Source]

How you can help:

Fill out a community nomination for Albuquerque!

Take our short survey about why this is important to you. Your response will be a part of the nomination package!

Visit us at www.googlequerque.org.

What's Your Score?

2010-03-14T09:09:00.000-07:00

The fiber experiment envisioned by Google (Google Fiber for Communities) isn't just a 'big' increase, it really takes things to another level -- in many ways one we can only imagine. Throughout the US today, connections of 10Mbps are considered good, with widespread availability of 100Mbps the goal of national broadband initiatives. (Our national average for downloads runs about 4-5Mbps.) Some kind of broadband access is increasingly seen as essential for both business to be competitive nationally and internationally, and for citizens to access vital services and fully participate in today's world.

But many of us -- most of us -- don't have 'good' access. Many of us barely have access at all. Do you really know what kind of connection you have and how that compares to what you're paying for? Knowing our starting point is important -- and something the FCC and other concerned organizations are working to identify.

You can help -- and help Albuquerque's efforts -- by testing and reporting your connection speeds. There are several ways to do so:

At the US Broadband.gov site, click on the Consumer Broadband Test link near the center of the page. This'll give you the information you want, but also provide planning information for national efforts.

Another option is Speedtest.net where you'd click on Begin Test
The site also offers info on US and State of New Mexico rankings at: http://www.speedtest.net/global.php#0,1,1,31

Google estimates its Fiber for Communities initiative would provide about 100x the connection speeds we currently have, but it could be a little less -- or much much more. Please check your connection and share the information with us at our BRIEF SURVEY and then, visit Google's RFI page to Nominate Albuquerque!

FCC's National Broadband Plan to be Released

2010-03-13T19:47:00.000-08:00

In the New York Times and elsewhere today there's news about the FCC's new 10-year plan -- that imagines "high-speed Internet as the country’s dominant communication network." Google has been very active in promoting several ideas present in the plan -- and it's worth looking at not only as we discuss what might be possible with Google's Fiber Initiative, but also think about think about the future of communications in Albuquerque in general.

From the New York Times:

F.C.C. Plan to Widen Internet Access in U.S. Sets Up Battle

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/13/business/media/13fcc.html?th&emc=th

“Broadband will be the indispensable platform to assure American competitiveness, ongoing job creation and innovation, and will affect nearly every aspect of Americans’ lives at home, at work, and in their communities,” FCC Chairman Genachowski

More on the FCC's Broadband Plan at:

The Wall Street Journal: FCC Broadband Plan Calls for $25B in New Spending
FCC.gov: FCC Chairman Genachowski Announces Children's Agenda for Digital Opportunity.
Broadband.gov: Preview the Plan

Google for Albuquerque: What can we do?

2010-03-12T15:49:00.000-08:00

A few folks have asked -- "What can I/we do?" Here are the basics for now:

Google's Fiber Initiative is really a game changing opportunity for Albuquerque, a chance to explore a future with vastly better connectivity to a wider section of our city than is really conceivable without a big partner like Google. It's a unique opportunity (probably why hundreds of communities across the US are pursuing it), but it needs your help to succeed. Here's what we'd like you to do:

1. SPREAD THE WORD
Please share info about this group and others with your friends, co-workers and other potential supporters. Send links, use the share button and whatever other tools you have at your disposal to build our community and promote this effort.

2. THINK BIG!
Google's initiative is subtitled 'think big with a gig' for a reason. They're looking for new and big ideas and what can be done with such a huge increase in connectivity reaching a much wider community. So... think about this. Discuss it. And share your big ideas at our Google Moderator page.

3. NOMINATE
First, please check in with our survey form (lower on this page and also HERE) to identify yourself and share a little information. Then, please nominate Albuquerque as an individual or community organization using the form at http://www.google.com/appserve/fiberrfi/public/options

Albuquerque has several great things going on that will make ours a compelling proposal (more to come) -- and I think we have an excellent chance. But again, we need your help -- let's make this happen!

Welcome to GoogleQuerque!

2010-03-10T08:32:00.001-08:00

Hi. Thanks for visiting!

A quick update: we had a great meeting with the city today. There's a lot of energy and passion about this effort and things are moving forward.

However... we have only two short weeks to engage and mobilize our communities to show their support and nominate Albuquerque as the best site for Google to launch their initiative. If you've already gone through the process of nominating Albuquerque, please complete the form below. If you haven't, please take a few moments to confirm your connection speeds and think big about what could be accomplished with this kind of connectivity before checking in with us below and completing Google's nomination form (http://www.google.com/appserve/fiberrfi/public/options).

Other things you can do?

Follow this site through Google Friend Connect (link to the right)
Sign up at our Facebook site.
Consider making a YouTube video to support our efforts (the nomination form asks for a link -- and we'll be providing more information as well)

More (very) soon!

2010-03-10T08:31:00.001-08:00

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