Google Fiber Coming to Kansas City

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA - Google announced that it would build an ultra-high-speed network in Kansas City, Kan.

After a year-long selection process during which it evaluated proposals from more than 1,100 communities, the company has signed a development agreement with Kansas City and says it will work with local organizations, businesses and universities to bring a "next-generation Web experience" to the community.

Google says that in selecting a city, its goal was to find a location where it could build efficiently, make an impact on the community and develop relationships with local government and community organizations. "We’ve found this in Kansas City," the company says. It will work with local organizations including the Kauffman Foundation, KCNext and the University of Kansas Medical Center to help develop the gigabit applications of the future.

Pending approval from the city’s Board of Commissioners, Google plans to offer service beginning in 2012.

In a live event carried on Google's YouTube channel, Google project lead Milo Medin said Kansas City was the first of multiple communities where Google intended to build FTTH networks. Kansas City's application impressed the company because of both the suitability of the local infrastructure and the commitment of public- and private-sector leaders to the project.