Google is vowing to give Kansas City (Kansas) the fastest Internet service in America (Washington: lease, amusement parks)

[Dragneel]

But this week, Google Inc. turned that tradition on its head. After a yearlong search for a place to build a super-fast Internet network, Google eschewed places like Los Angeles, Chicago and Seattle in favor of blue-collar Kansas City, Kan.
Google is planning to launch the service in a city where only one in eight residents over the age of 25 had a bachelor's degree, and one in four failed to graduate from high school, according to U.S. census data. In 2008, the median household income in KCK, as the city is known, was $39,000, well below the Kansas average of $50,000.


New Lift for Kansas Town - WSJ.com

Great for this city

[TinaMcG]

Originally Posted by Dragneel

But this week, Google Inc. turned that tradition on its head. After a yearlong search for a place to build a super-fast Internet network, Google eschewed places like Los Angeles, Chicago and Seattle in favor of blue-collar Kansas City, Kan.
Google is planning to launch the service in a city where only one in eight residents over the age of 25 had a bachelor's degree, and one in four failed to graduate from high school, according to U.S. census data. In 2008, the median household income in KCK, as the city is known, was $39,000, well below the Kansas average of $50,000.


New Lift for Kansas Town - WSJ.com

Great for this city

If you're planning on rolling out something new and innovative, something never tried before, you are a fool to do it in a major market. Any glitches or failures are just that much more magnified in a major city like LA, New York or Chicago. KC, KS is a very good choice. As depressed as the area is, it will be easier to chart improvements. It's in the center of the country, politically correct for Google, who would have been skewered for taking their new service to a place with more political firepower. I think this will be good for Google, and good for our region.

[tewas]

I stopped by here to congratulate all of you with this amazing oportunity that Google is bringing you to home. The fast internet access should improve your chances as a city in brining in new business and technology companies.
Now if they could bring same deal to my current city, i would be in heaven

Congratulations Kansas again!

[beaming90]

It is very exciting to happen here in our city!!!

[denverian]

It's probably just easier on Google since only 27 people in KCK have a computer lol!

I was born in KCK, but geez, what a dump of a city. The urban part never changes, other than decaying further. The rest of it seem like some sort of hillbilly backwater cesspool. The only thing decent I've ever seen there is that new shopping area out west, but once again, KCK screws up. Who wants to drive a half our out into the woods to eat out or see a movie?

[Dragneel]

Originally Posted by denverian

It's probably just easier on Google since only 27 people in KCK have a computer lol!

I was born in KCK, but geez, what a dump of a city. The urban part never changes, other than decaying further. The rest of it seem like some sort of hillbilly backwater cesspool. The only thing decent I've ever seen there is that new shopping area out west, but once again, KCK screws up. Who wants to drive a half our out into the woods to eat out or see a movie?

Old cliché.It's very different there now ! And Google has been smart to choose this What would the interest to give that to San José or Austin ?

From the article "
Then the leadership of KCK began offering tax incentives for businesses and entertainment companies to develop the city's western acreage, and the balance of power in metropolitan Kansas City, home to about two million people, started to shift. A racetrack featuring Nascar competitions opened, followed by a shopping center, hotels and amusement parks.
Suddenly, 10 million visitors annually, many from several states away, began pouring into KCK. By last year, the new development, known as Village West, boasted 114 businesses that employed nearly 6,000 people. For the first time in decades, new groceries and residential districts opened in KCK."

[kcmo]

Google chose KCK because it's the easiest cheapest and fastest place to install the system in a medium sized city with a little bit of urban, suburban and rural all in one area all controlled by one public agency so less red tape and cost.

KCK also has mostly above ground utilities to install the system (with no plans to burry them) and available conduit in newer parts of the city out west so google would not have to trench new conduit. It's not too big and not too small. Also google can say they have chosen "Kansas City" and to the rest of the country, that means they are rolling this out in a large city, when in fact they are not.

They chose KCK because it's easy and cheap to play with their product and test it all out. There is no other place that google could get up and running so quickly.

Compare this to KCMO, or any other large city. KCMO is far larger has a very broad variety of utility infrastructure by more than one private company and or the city/county. Google would have to buy or lease the rights to use the poles and conduit from KCPL etc., who may not even want to lease them.

Google would have to lay new conduit too all the fast growing parts of the city and deal with the very complicated and intense urban core of KCMO by digging up streets. They would have to come up with contracts for the 14 school districts that serve the city, and places like KCI would require intense negotiations.

KCK is probably the only city in the United States that was really a perfect place for Google to install a prototype system where it can learn on the cheap how to deploy google throughout the rest of the metro and nation and do so very quickly.

KCK just lucked out. Hopefully they can capitalize on this investment.

It would be awesome if KCK brought in a new tech company to the metro to fill the EPA building that will soon be vacant (which is asinine, but whatever). If the city can't refill its only large modern office building after google is up and running, that will say a lot about just how much economic impact this google thing really had on KCK.

[katie45]

Originally Posted by kcmo

Google chose KCK because it's the easiest cheapest and fastest place to install the system in a medium sized city with a little bit of urban, suburban and rural all in one area all controlled by one public agency so less red tape and cost.

KCK also has mostly above ground utilities to install the system (with no plans to burry them) and available conduit in newer parts of the city out west so google would not have to trench new conduit. It's not too big and not too small. Also google can say they have chosen "Kansas City" and to the rest of the country, that means they are rolling this out in a large city, when in fact they are not.

They chose KCK because it's easy and cheap to play with their product and test it all out. There is no other place that google could get up and running so quickly.

Compare this to KCMO, or any other large city. KCMO is far larger has a very broad variety of utility infrastructure by more than one private company and or the city/county. Google would have to buy or lease the rights to use the poles and conduit from KCPL etc., who may not even want to lease them.

Google would have to lay new conduit too all the fast growing parts of the city and deal with the very complicated and intense urban core of KCMO by digging up streets. They would have to come up with contracts for the 14 school districts that serve the city, and places like KCI would require intense negotiations.

KCK is probably the only city in the United States that was really a perfect place for Google to install a prototype system where it can learn on the cheap how to deploy google throughout the rest of the metro and nation and do so very quickly.

KCK just lucked out. Hopefully they can capitalize on this investment.

It would be awesome if KCK brought in a new tech company to the metro to fill the EPA building that will soon be vacant (which is asinine, but whatever). If the city can't refill its only large modern office building after google is up and running, that will say a lot about just how much economic impact this google thing really had on KCK.

Just curious: as much as you love KC, MO...why are you living near Washington D.C.? I'd think you'd hi-tail it back to KC, MO. (Unless you are currently living in KC, MO but have not updated your profile.)

[RjRobb2]

Originally Posted by denverian

It's probably just easier on Google since only 27 people in KCK have a computer lol!

I was born in KCK, but geez, what a dump of a city. The urban part never changes, other than decaying further. The rest of it seem like some sort of hillbilly backwater cesspool. The only thing decent I've ever seen there is that new shopping area out west, but once again, KCK screws up. Who wants to drive a half our out into the woods to eat out or see a movie?

The urban part is not the nicest but that doesnt mean things can change. Plus, the Village West area is becoming a destination for not only people all over the city but the midwest. With the new soccer stadium, the youth soccer complex, the new Cerner complex, and the casino, it is only going to get better.

I had a friend purchase a home out by that area in 2003 and his home is now worth double what he paid for it. I wish I would have had the foresight to buy out there instead of here, it would have been a great investment. With the Google project, the Cerner jobs, and everything else, his value might triple inside 10 years.

[RjRobb2]

Originally Posted by Dragneel

But this week, Google Inc. turned that tradition on its head. After a yearlong search for a place to build a super-fast Internet network, Google eschewed places like Los Angeles, Chicago and Seattle in favor of blue-collar Kansas City, Kan.
Google is planning to launch the service in a city where only one in eight residents over the age of 25 had a bachelor's degree, and one in four failed to graduate from high school, according to U.S. census data. In 2008, the median household income in KCK, as the city is known, was $39,000, well below the Kansas average of $50,000.


New Lift for Kansas Town - WSJ.com

Great for this city

You dont rollout a project like that in a city like LA, Chicago, or Seattle. The overhead and maintenance of such a project would be too big of a liability. Not to mention the fact that they want to get this rolling quickly and it probably would double the time it took to get setup doing it there. A medium sized city like KCK is perfect for this kind of launch. Plus, Google will get partial credit for helping revitalize a city not known for many positive things.