Sunflower Broadband's position on a City of Lawrence Application for Google's 1Gb Fiber to the Home Project
View the video presentation here.
The best opportunity for investment by Google in our community is a partnership between Google, Sunflower Broadband and the City of Lawrence.
Otherwise, Lawrence may not fit the criteria Google is looking for in their Request for Information (RFI). The RFI states that Google is looking "work with a community where we can bring significant benefit to residents." It goes on to say, "We will also take into account broadband availability and speeds that are already offered to users within a community."
In Google Corporation's hometown, Mountain View, CA and as close as our neighbors to the east, Olathe, KS, 50Mb Internet is offered at $99.95 per month. Today, Lawrence citizens can get 50Mb Internet for $59.95 per month. It will likely be a hard case for Lawrence to prove to Google executives that we are in need of faster Internet at a better price.
Instead, we'd like to partner with the City and represent Lawrence as a shovel-ready testing ground for the experimental 1Gb Internet offering. Let's work together to utilize Sunflower's existing investment in network infrastructure, expertise, support mechanisms and people to make Lawrence an attractive option for experimental investment.
Rod Kutemeier
Sunflower Broadband
