023 Think Big Radio: Inside Kansas City's Google Fiber Experience

Google Fiber Space in Kansas City, Missouri. 

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023 Think Big Radio: Inside Kansas City's Google Fiber Experience

Kansas City isn’t just experiencing big things this summer...it’s experiencing fast things, too.  This summer, Google opened its very own home in KC and the location quickly became known as Google Fiber Space.  Google Fiber Space is a modern, techy place full of Google Fiber demonstrations, interactive video, hands-on activities and even free food!  It all sounded too good to be true...so we decided to take a look at Google Fiber Space for ourselves. 

Google Fiber Space is decorated with modern pieces
(and perhaps a nod to the Nelson-Atkins Museum?)

And it was better than we imagined.  We even had the opportunity to sit down with Google Fiber Community Manager Rachel Hack and ask her a few questions about Google Fiber’s implementation in Kansas City...and what we can expect next.  We asked Rachel about Google Fiber for business, the ins-and-outs of Google TV, Kansas City as the home of Google Fiber and we even took questions from people on Facebook and Twitter who had interesting questions about the high-speed Internet.  Want to hear what Rachel had to say?  Give episode 23 of Think Big Radio a listen (above).

Let's do this for Think Big! 

To learn more about Google Fiber, visit https://fiber.google.com/about/.

Follow me! @AllisonThinkBig

What Will Google Say on Thursday?

We are just as excited as the next person about Google Fiber's launch in Kansas City.  And we're even more excited that Google has announced that the launch will happen on Thursday. But is the launch really happening, or should we just expect another ambiguous announcement from the search engine giant?

According to The Kansas City Star, Google plans to fill in some blanks on July 26th.  The video (above), which was released last Wednesday, unveils what might be part of the marketing rhetoric for its coming service: 100 times faster Internet, 100 times the possibilities. 

The video also proclaims that the service "arrives on July 26th."  Will it really?  According to The Star and Google spokeswoman Jenna Wandres, "We haven't elaborated on what arriving means." 

So what can we expect on Thursday?  If Google has anything to do with it, we will have to simply wait to find out.  

Follow me! @AllisonThinkBig

My Top 8 Internet Trends for 2012

WRITTEN BY BLAKE MILLER, PARTNER AT THINK BIG PARTNERS 

The start of a new year means so much more than new resolutions, a fresh start and a rejuvenated mind.  In my opinion, 2012 means the birth of even more exciting Internet developments and innovations.  From the birth of Smart Cities to the death of the QR Code, I believe that the Internet will undergo an extreme (and positive) transformation this year.  How so?  Take a look at my top 8 predictions for Internet trends in 2012: 

1.      People will actually start using the Internet to communicate.  I know what you'er thinking: We already use Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. to interact with people.  True, but these social media sites are just the tip of the iceberg. In 2012, I believe voice calls over the Internet will actually become somewhat of the norm, but not in the way you think.  Look for phone apps that allow you to bypass your carrier service and connect through WiFi.  My wildcard bet? Facebook's Messenger app adds voice calling and effectively becomes the Whitepages of the Internet.

2.      The Internet will continue its transition to everything in our lives.  Yes, the Internet is already everywhere; laptops, PCS, iPads, smartphones, etc. But watch for appliances, toys, cars, and even more to have Internet connectivity.  Imagine a world where you can check items into your fridge and when you are at the grocery store, you can login in through your fridge app and see what you need.

3.      Government legislation.   We have already seen the start of this with the absolutely absurd legislation of the SOPA Act.   Unfortunately, I don’t think this will be the end of the government preventing innovation.

4.      Municipalities and cities becoming open source.  Also known as Smart Cities, we have already started to see cities open up their data sets for entrepreneurs to use.  Look for more cities to get “smart” and companies like Screampoint to take advantage of that mass amount of invaluable data.

5.      The infrastructure of the Internet will become a major focus.  Google Fiber anyone?  Since the birth of the Internet, it has been a platform for apps.  This includes everything from websites to what we consider apps today.  The app trend will continue, but I think generally it is in its “mature state.”  As we continue to create more data (I read somewhere that more data has been created in the last three years than the previous 40,000...WOW!) we will need the infrastructure to transmit that.  Enter the Google Fiber project.  What would I bet on?  That entrepreneurs will start to light whole cities with WiFi access...some of it free.

6.      Forgetting your wallet home will not be a problem.  Companies like Square and Google have already started this trend in the middle of 2011.   Just recently, Dwolla announced Instant, which allows you to borrow up to $500 with very small fees.  As Dwolla grows and merchants hop on board as a method to pay, you can make a purchase straight from an app. If your not familiar with Dwolla, you really should be.  

7.      Mobile hardware will actually catch up to the capabilities of mobile software.  Okay...so this is a pipe dream, but hopefully there will be strides made.  Can you imagine if battery life was increased just 5 times what it currently is?

8.      Death to the QR Code!  Alright, alright.  This is another pipe dream for me and I don’t think I’m alone.  Why did Americans hop on an archaic technology?! There are so many other ways to simplify! 

Follow me! @BlakeMiller32

Top 5 Things Google Fiber Can Do for Kansas City (And 5 It Can Do for the World)

A lot of excitement has been building up around the implementation of Google Fiber in Kansas City.  Organizations such as FiberKC.biz are being developed, discussions on sites such as KCMOmentum and Facebook are exploding, and challenges and competitions such as the Gigabit Challenge are formulating in anticipation of Google Fiber.  But when it all comes down to it, what is Google Fiber really doing for Kansas City?  And even more importantly, what is Google Fiber doing for the world? 

Top 5 Things Google Fiber Can Do for Kansas City:

1.  Assist Startups and Entrepreneurs

As one of the most well-known blogs in the Kansas City entrepreneurial spectrum, we cannot help but note first and foremost that Kansas City’s entrepreneurs and startup companies will benefit greatly from the implementation of Google Fiber.  Google is extremely interested in seeing what developers and entrepreneurs will create with ultra high-speeds; new apps, online businesses and other startups that we cannot even imagine yet are expected to explode in and around Kansas City. 

2.  Bring Big Business to Kansas City

Although Google Fiber is expected to bring in a plethora of new ideas, the initiative is also predicted to bring big business to Kansas City.  Already-established Kansas City businesses like Cerner and Garmin will flourish with the high-speeds provided by Google Fiber.  We are excited to see what other big businesses will decide to move or open in Kansas City in order to benefit from it as well. 

3.  Improve Home Networks

According to CBS, Kansas City is not the only place to receive Google Fiber.  Kansas City is just part of the experiment involving as many as half a million homes to improve ways to build a stronger network.   

4.  Create More Jobs

It’s obvious that Google Fiber will create more jobs in and around Kansas City.  But it’s not just the installation and maintenance of the fiber that will require more jobs (In fact, it has been noted that Google will bring in crews the company has used for other infrastructure builds instead.  Read more...).  But Google Fiber may create jobs in the online gaming, telecommunications, healthcare, and app development worlds just to name a few.  Plus, with the creation of more startups in Kansas City, more companies will be needing more assistance. 

5.  Put Kansas City on the IT map

A few months ago, The Wall Street Journal recognized Kansas City as an upcoming hub for information technology.  The city is booming with entrepreneurs, small business and technology.  In fact, in a study found by the TechAmerica Foundation, the number of Kansas City tech companies rose by 5% in 2009, trumping the growth rates of Silicon Valley, Boston and Austin. 

Top 5 Things Google Fiber Can Do for the World:

1.   Provide Faster Internet

Did you know that Comcast’s current cable service has an average speed of 13Mbps?  This is about 1/20^th of the speed that Google Fiber will provide.  Google Fiber will be the fastest Internet speed in the world and therefore, save people a significant amount of time.  Imagine downloading a high-definition, full-length feature film in under 5 minutes, watching a live 3D video of a university lecture, or sending an extremely large document across the world via email in a matter of seconds.  Google Fiber will make it possible. 

2.  Improve Education

When I attended Building the Gigabit City last week, much of the event focused on the benefits that the education sector would have by using the Google Fiber network.  The ideas that accumulated were numerous.  Students will have the chance to improve their learning capabilities by taking online classes, tuning into virtual 3D lectures from across the world, or downloading study applications in seconds.  Education is bound to improve with the implementation of Google Fiber—we are anxious to see how. 

3.  Generate New Deployment Techniques

Google’s Fiber website states that its goal is to experiment with new ways to help make Internet access better and faster for everyone.  That goal includes the implementation of new deployment techniques within the company.  Google is planning to test new ways to build fiber networks and seeks to inform and support deployments elsewhere.  In addition, Google will share key lessons that they learned throughout the world. 

4.  Create Next-Generation Apps

The world has become flooded with apps.  This leaves us thinking "what’s next?"  Google Fiber hopes to help answer that very question.  The world will begin to have access to next-generation apps and developers will have the chance to use ultra high-speeds for their latest creations; from creating bandwidth-intensive “killer apps” and services to other uses we can’t yet imagine. 

5.  Transform Business

Because Google Fiber will operate an “open access” network, users will be given the choice of multiple service providers.  That means that any business can transform the way that it operates without having to switch service providers.  This ease-of-use will allow businesses to change the way that they do business and make their inner-workings faster, better and stronger.  Google provides a great example at the top of its Project Overview page: “Imagine sitting in a rural health clinic, streaming three-dimensional medical imaging over the web, and discussing a unique condition with a specialist in New York.”  That’s thinking big...with a gig. 

Written by Allison Way

@AllisonThinkBig

Google Fiber Coming to Kansas City, Kansas

Google announced today that its Google Fiber Internet service will make its debut in Kansas City, Kansas which promises free broadband Web access for schools and speeds 100 times faster than the current average.  This is a big deal for Google, but an even bigger deal for KC.

Of the 1,100 local government across the country that applied for the program, Google chose Kansas City (over Madison, Wisconsin) to implement its experimental ultra high-speed Internet network called Google Fiber.  The new Internet network is to be launched in 2012.

So what does this mean for our beloved Kansas City?  A lot of amazing things, actually.  First off, Google Fiber will bring as much as $97 million in investments not to mention an extra 1,000 jobs to the KC community.

"In selecting a city, our goal was to find a location where we could build efficiently, make an impact on the community and develop relationships with local government and community organizations," said vice president of access services Milo Medin. "We've found this in Kansas City."  (via Wisconsin State Journal). 

In 2012, Kansas City will experience a new type of Internet- a faster, more reliable network that will provide Internet connections of 1 gagbit per second to as many as 500,000 people. 

We don't know about you, but Think Big Partners is thrilled to welcome the Google powerhouse to our growing Kansas City community.  We are even more excited that Google Fiber is promoting itself as "Think big with a gig".  Now that's something we can relate to.

Written by Allison Way
@AllisonThinkBig