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Why Google should select Longmont to deploy its ultra high speed broadband network

There simply is no better location on the planet than Longmont, Colorado for Google to build its first open access fiber to the home ultra high speed broadband network. Here are just a few reasons why:

Longmont is not just jumping on this bandwagon. In 1997, visionary leaders in our community built an eighteen-mile fiber-optic ring around our city with the capability of bringing high-speed telecommunications into every home and business in Longmont. And the best part is - the system is owned and operated by the City of Longmont. It has tremendous capacity that would help facilitate a quick deployment of Google’s fiber to the home network. Since 1997 Longmont has been searching for a private-sector partner willing to step up and help us enhance and expand this system - we’ve been looking for a partner like Google.

Longmont owns its electric utility, Longmont Power & Communications (LPC). LPC not only provides extremely reliable electrical energy at the lowest rates in Colorado but it also maintains the fiber optic ring that’s connected to each of its electrical substations and over 20 other City owned facilities. This already provides us one gigabyte per second bandwidth for many applications including several smart grid applications. Google would have access to this infrastructure including other City assets through one point of contact that could also help to expedite City rights of way and permitting issues.

Existing fiber backbone. Longmont’s fiber optic backbone ring is physically co-located in several locations with Level 3 Communications fiber. This would facilitate the rapid establishment of a high bandwidth connection to Google facilities anywhere in the country.

There are some areas in Longmont already prepared for rapid deployment of a Google fiber network. Longmont has access to empty communications conduit located in rear easements immediately adjacent to 1184 homes just waiting to be filled with fiber optic cable. There is also an existing subdivision containing 67 homes with a fiber to the home system already installed. This subdivision has the potential to become an applications test bed almost immediately.

Fiber experience. Because Longmont already has experience deploying and maintaining an optical fiber communications network, we have a trained workforce and relationships with trenching, boring and splicing contractors that could quickly be mobilized for this project.

Grant for smart metering. LPC has recently been awarded stimulus grant funding to help it deploy smart metering infrastructure as well as develop energy management and energy usage reporting applications. A partnership with Google in the near future would be perfect timing and a perfect match to help us with this challenge.

Citywide Wi-Fi. The City of Longmont already has in place a robust citywide Wi-Fi system that could be used as a test bed for wireless applications. This Wi-Fi system utilizes the City’s fiber optic ring as its backbone and interconnection to the outside world.

Strong record of working with private sector. The City of Longmont already has a track record of establishing successful working relationships with private-sector companies in the deployment of advanced telecommunications technologies. After the initial deployment of our Wi-Fi network, Ron Sege, president and CEO of Tropos Networks, said, "The speed of this deployment sets a new record for us for metro-scale Wi-Fi networks and for broadband systems in general. The City of Longmont and Kite Networks have been ideal partners to work with, and we believe that the community will reap the benefits from having new, cost-competitive broadband services."

Shared Vision. On January 22, 2010 at the Longmont City Council retreat, one of 4 topics discussed was “Envision a Connected City”. This topic focused on Longmont’s history of innovation regarding its optical fiber system, smart grid applications, city-wide Wi-Fi and its vision of a fiber to the home network. The City Council unanimously supported the pursuit of a private partner to help achieve this vision. Google announced its desire to do exactly the same thing less than three weeks later.

Location. Longmont sits in an area of the country with some of the highest concentration of software employees’ per-capita in the United States. We are home to high-tech companies like Seagate, Western Digital, Xilinx, Amgen and we are home to a Google business partner, DigitalGlobe – an industry leader in satellite imagery.

Existing fiber connections. Longmont’s schools, major hospital and other medical facilities in addition to several businesses are already connected to LPC’s optical fiber network. Discussions have already taken place regarding the potential of a fiber to the home network here in Longmont with representatives from these organizations as well as our Chamber of Commerce, Longmont Area Economic Council and other businesses including our city-wide Wi-Fi owner and operator Ridgeviewtel.

Demographics. Longmont is the perfect test bed for various deployment technologies and next generation applications. Why? Longmont is neither a big city nor is it small. We are not located on the east coast or the west coast, far north or far south. We own modern underground electric infrastructure as well as legacy overhead pole mounted facilities. We mix high tech firms and big box stores with lower tech private businesses and agriculture. Our diverse community offers a mixture of affluence, ethnicity, age, education, and technical prowess. Longmont represents a perfect slice of Middle America and can best demonstrate the incredible potential of high bandwidth communications connectivity for all American citizens.

Quality of Life. With our incredible mountain views, our high quality of life, our status as one of Money Magazines Best Places to Live, and our standing as an All American City, Longmont Colorado is the best city on the planet for Google to partner with and begin to create the vision we both share, setting an example for the rest of the world.