Google Fiber for Communities: Think big with a gig

Google is planning to launch an experiment that we hope will make Internet access better and faster for everyone. We plan to test ultra-high speed broadband networks in one or more trial locations across the country. Our networks will deliver Internet speeds more than 100 times faster than what most Americans have access to today, over 1 gigabit per second, fiber-to-the-home connections. We'll offer service at a competitive price to at least 50,000 and potentially up to 500,000 people.

From now until March 26th, we're asking interested municipalities to provide us with information about their communities through a Request for information (RFI), which we'll use to determine where to build our network.

The Project Overview notes, "We welcome responses from local government, as well as members of the public." Individuals can suggest their cities within the application framework, but the Instructions clarify the options:

1. Full community response by a local government interested in having its community serve as a trial location. 2. Other interested parties and non-governmental respondents, explaining why the trial should be held in the respondent's community.

From the FAQ:
What criteria will Google use to select the communities for this project?

Above all, we're interested in deploying our network efficiently and quickly, and are hoping to identify interested communities that will work with us to achieve this goal. We also want to want to work with a community where we can bring significant benefits to residents and develop useful proofs-of-concept that can have a broader impact. For example, we're looking for opportunities to experiment with deployment techniques that can inform and accelerate broadband deployment elsewhere as well. To that end, we'll use our RFI to identify interested communities and to assess local factors that will impact the efficiency and speed of our deployment, such as the level of community support, local resources, weather conditions, approved construction methods and local regulatory issues. We will also take into account broadband availability and speeds that are already offered to users within a community. The RFI is a first step - we plan to consult with local government organizations, as well as conduct site visits and meet with local officials, before announcing our final decisions.

Please, let it be us. Providence, you're applying aren't you?