Topeka, Kansas renames itself "Google" to sway fiber optic test application: [4th Mar 2010]

A town in Kansas has changed its name for the month of March to "Google" in a bid to be chosen as one of the towns for the new fiber optic trials by the company. The mayor of the town, previously known as Topeka, has said that the name change is just a bit of fun, but might set them apart from the many other towns competing for the Fiber for Communities program run by Google. Topeka is an Indian word which describes the area as a good place to grow potatoes. The mayor has pointed out that they have no plans to change the name on a permanent basis.

Another resident of the Topeka/Google, Jared Starkey has started a Facebook page to encourage Google to come to the town. He has also handed out bright orange necklaces to residents made of the same fiber optic cable used to deliver broadband services. Mr Starkey is the owner of a small web design company.

Other towns and cities across the US are also trying to get Google's attention. Greensboro is preparing an "Operation Google" gift package which will be sent to Google's headquarters. They plan to spend $50,000 to encourage Google to their area. More than 70 Facebook pages have been set up by residents of different towns and channels on YouTube are planned. Baltimore have launched a texting campaign to alert people to events to rally support. Google have said that customer support of their plans is one of the factors they are considering. The cut off date for applications is March 26.


Cisco Systems is said to have plans to take advantage of the hype caused by the Google trials announced recently. The networking giant has reportedly been rolling out ultra high speed networks across the US, but has been working in conjunction with the major providers, rather than against them as Google appears to be doing. Cicso is set to announce their plans on March 9 during a webcast and they have said that the plans will change the Internet forever.


A national database of broadband speeds released by ID Insight's Broadband Scout has found that Nassau County in New York State has topped the list. The county boasted download speeds of 15Mbps and upload speeds of 4.4Mbps. The fastest 25 List was put together by Broadband Scout which was started in December and has been providing broadband speed information to those applying for stimulus funds. Nassau County joins Kent County, Putnam County and Benton County in the top 5.


The Forbes list of the "Most Wired Cities" released this week has shown that Raleigh has topped the bill. The city which last year sat at number 15 has moved ahead of Boston, Seattle, Washington and Orlando. Atlanta has come in at number 2. Raleigh has come in at number one due to the high number of universities, technology companies and government offices. The Forbes list is put together by working out the percentage of Internet users with high speed connections and the number pf providers in the area. Forbes hope that the list may provide a model to other cities regarding what can be achieved.


Rumors are surfacing that AT&T are planning to change the way they price their services and it appears that this will mean an increase in wireless data prices for most. Investors are pressuring the company to replace the $30 unlimited data plan with a metered service. CEO Randall Stephenson has said that those who are heavy users of data services can expect to pay more in the future with variable pricing. Experts have suggested that this type of pricing will lead to most consumers paying more overall due to the structure of the pricing bands. In addition, AT&T insist that all smartphone users have a data plan, which means that users must pay for the service whether they use it or not.


The FCC have announced that they would like the broadband plan to include proposals for the creation of a wireless broadband network for public safety announcements. The current system has proved to be patchy after problems occurred during the 911 attacks and Hurricane Katrina. The plan will ask for Congress to set aside $16-$18bn over the next ten years to build the public safety network. They say that the private sector simply will not do this with out input from the Government. It has also recommended that additional spectrum will need to be obtained in the future for public use. The plans were prepared by the FCC's public safety and homeland security bureau chief, Admiral Jamie Barnett.