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March 18, 2010

Tri-Lakes joins Google fiber-optic quest

By KIM SMITH DEDAM

HARRIETSTOWN — Officials here are Googling a fiber-optic feed.

The telecommunications giant launched Fiber for Communities, a sweepstakes seeking interest from population centers of 50,000 to 100,000 to build and test ultra-high-speed broadband infrastructure.

Jeremy Evans, Community Development director in Saranac Lake, said they are filing an application with surrounding towns and business interests.

"I met with (Harrietstown Supervisor) Larry Miller, resident David Wolfe (with AdkAction.org) and (Saranac Lake Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director) Sylvie Nelson last week. We are strategizing how we might apply to Google to be one of their test communities."

LAKE PLACID JOINS
Miller encouraged a wider Tri-Lakes initiative, and at the village meeting Monday night, officials in Lake Placid agreed to join forces.

Mayor Craig Randall said trustees in the Olympic Village consider it a good idea.

"We're joining, and perhaps there will be other municipalities in the Tri-Lakes area. It's a long shot. I'm sure communities across the country are vying for this, but it does show in a nice way how we can work with sister communities here. We have 10 days to accomplish this."

Trustee Jason Leon is helping wind up for the Google pitch.

"I'm excited. This is a community-wide initiative. I think that's what the Tri-Lakes have needed to do for some time. This could single-handedly transform the North Country. Why not?"

CHALLENGING AREA
Google began accepting entries last month and set the deadline at March 26.

In a press release, the company said it has "not yet determined the size of the trial, which will be based in large part on the availability of appropriate locations."

Evans said a rural Adirondack challenge presents a unique challenge for Google.

"They're looking for demonstration communities. When you think about it that way, we don't have broadband available to everyone in outlying areas, and bandwidth to some of our large institutions — Trudeau Institute, Adirondack Medical Center and the colleges — is limited.

"I think the other thing we have to offer here is a huge opportunity to expand business for telecommuters. We already have an incredible quality of life and a beautiful setting. If they really want to test it out in a variety of locations with different challenges, why not look at us a little more closely?"

EXPERIMENT
Officials at Google told Gigaom, a technology news service, they will review applications "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."

Google would charge for the service, though no fee structure has been set.

"The purpose of this project is to experiment and learn," Google said.

"We don't think we have all the answers, but through our trial, we hope to make a meaningful contribution to the shared goal of delivering faster and better Internet for everyone."

Many urban centers around the United States have announced plans to enter the Google contest. Burlington, Vt., is making a pitch, alongside Washington, D.C.; Seattle; Milwaukee; Buffalo; Asheville in North Carolina; and San Francisco.

E-mail Kim Smith Dedam at: kdedam@pressrepublican.com

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