Community hopes for Google's attention

TIPPECANOE COUNTY, Ind. (WLFI) - After you Boiler Up, remember to Google Up!

Lightning-fast internet could be coming to a computer near you with some help from the community and Google. Google is looking for a trial market for its ultra high speed broadband network.

Google Up! Tippecanoe County is the Greater Lafayette area's campaign to be one of the Google fiber communities. Greater Lafayette Commerce Program Manager for Economic Development Laura Walls said it would be a boon for the community.

"It's incredibly important to economic development. To our existing industries and the endless possibilities of the companies that could come out of being a Google fiber community," Walls said

Steve Belter with the Greater Lafayette Commerce Telecommunication Oversight Committee said this one gigabit per second fiber-to-the-home connection would be more than 100 times faster than what most Americans now have now.

"It can transfer data that is hundreds of thousands of ten thousands times faster than a copper wire. Over a DSL or cable modem connection it might take you a couple of hours to download a full length high definition movie. [With this] it might take five minutes," Belter said.

If chosen, Google would foot the bill for the installation across the the county.

"Typical costs to install that, if you are doing that for most homes in an urban setting, is between a $1,000 to $1,500 dollars per home.

Everyone in Tippecanoe County can get involved in the effort. Just go to the Greater Lafayette Commerce website and answer a few questions about your current internet service. The two to three minutes it takes to do so could save you hours or days of your life in the future.

"It is a long shot to be chosen. We are competing with hundreds and hundreds of communities, including our neighbors in Indiana. But if we are selected, we are going to be very attractive to those high-tech companies," Walls said.

The application is due to Google on March 26, leaving the community only 10 days to show support. Google has said one factor in its choice of communities will be the level of community support.

To learn more and join in the Google Up! effort, you can attend a community forum on Monday, March 22 at 5:00 p.m. at the Tippecanoe County Office Building in the Tippecanoe Room.

You can also take take a survey about Google Up! Tippecanoe County or become a fan of Google Up! Tippecanoe County on Facebook .