Google to announce 'community or communities' to host its broadband testbed by year's end

Google will soon begin reviewing the more than 600 applications that local governments have sent the search company since it announced it plans to launch Google Fiber -- its ultra high-speed Internet test project.

The deadline to submit information to Google is still hours away. But a company executive on Friday said Google would begin narrowing down those applications "over the coming months," eventually "conducting site visits, meeting with local officials and consulting with third party organizations."

Google's ultimate goal is to announce its "target community or communities" for the broadband testbed "by the end of the year."

"Of course, we're not going to be able to build in every interested community — our plan is to reach a total of at least 50,000 and potentially up to 500,000 people with this experiment," the company noted on its blog. "Wherever we decide to build, we hope to learn lessons that will help improve Internet access everywhere."

Cities and locales began vying for Google's attention almost immediately after company executives announced its Fiber project last month.

Google primarily sees its proposed testbed network as a way to encourage universal broadband adoption, increase competition and improve connection speeds. But local communities regard the project as a possible jobs boon, hoping that tech innovation in their backyards can better their economies and attract new businesses.

The manifest belief that Google's project could assist local economic recovery has even led some communities to take drastic steps to get the company's attention.

For example, Topeka, Kansas temporarily renamed itself "Google" last month to show its commitment to the search company. The mayor of Duluth, meanwhile, jumped into a frozen lake on a chilly, Minnesota winter day. And for whatever reason, Sarasota, Florida Mayor Richard Clapp actually dove into a tank of live sharks on his city's behalf. (The sharks were allegedly harmless and tiny, but the mayor had not been diving before his March 18 publicity stunt.)

Consequently, Google on Friday recognized the litany of antics that have characterized its applications process, thanking the communities for showing their "love" and "interest" in the company's broadband.

But Google Product Manager James Kelly later suggested those unorthodox appeals for better Web connections signaled the importance of his company's forthcoming endeavor.

"After all, you shouldn't have to jump into frozen lakes and shark tanks to get ultra high-speed broadband," he said.

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