Google Fiber is a project to build an experimental broadband internet network infrastructure using fiber-optic communication^[1] in Kansas City, Kansas and Kansas City, Missouri, following a selection process.^[2] Over 1,100 communities applied to be the first recipient of the technology.^[3] Google announced on March 30, 2011 that Kansas City, Kansas will be the first community where the experimental network would be deployed.^[4] On May 17, 2011, Google announced that the service would be expanded to include the Kansas City, Missouri metro area. The service is expected to be functional in early 2012.

Cost[link]

It has been estimated that Google will need to pay $3,000 to $8,000 per home broadband connection, totaling anywhere from $60 million up to $1.6 billion USD.^[2] Google Fiber will be provided "at a competitive price" to the citizens of Kansas City.^[5]

Technical specifications[link]

Google Fiber will provide connections at around 1 gigabit per second, which is about 100 times faster access than most Americans have.^[4] Despite the advertising claims of internet service providers, the average download speed in the United States is only about 4 megabits per second.^[6]

Locations[link]

• Kansas City, Kansas - On March 30, 2011, KCK was selected from over 1,100 applicants to be the first Google Fiber community.

• Kansas City, Missouri - Seventeen days after the initial announcement regarding KCK, Google announced the decision to include Kansas City, Missouri, thus including the entirety of Kansas City. The network is expected to become available to residents in early 2012.

Selection process[link]

Google originally stated that they would announce the winner or winners by the end of 2010; however, in mid-December, Google pushed back the announcement date of the selected Google Fiber community (or communities) to "early 2011" due to an increase in the time necessary to review all of the over 1,100 applications.^[7][8][9]

The request form was simple,^[10] and, some have argued, too straightforward.^[11] This led to various attention-getting behaviors by those hoping to have their town selected.^[11] Some examples are given below:

• Baton Rouge supporters remade the song "Give a Little Bit" by Roger Hodgson to "Give a Gigabit".
• Greenville, South Carolina utilized 1000 of their citizens and glow sticks to create "The World's First and Largest People-Powered Google Chain." From an aerial view, the title "Google" was colorfully visible.
• Topeka, Kansas temporarily renamed itself "Google"
• A small plane bearing a banner reading “Will Google Play in Peoria, IL?” flew over the Google campus in Mountain View, California.^[12]
• One of the islands in Sarasota, Florida was temporarily renamed "Google Island".^[11]

Municipalities and citizens have also uploaded YouTube videos to support their bids. Some examples:

• A YouTube video in support of Sarasota, Florida used the Bobby McFerrin song Don't Worry, Be Happy, which Warner Music Group does not allow to appear in user-uploaded videos.^[11] A video for Sarasota was uploaded through Facebook’s video service.^[11] Duluth's mayor jokingly proclaimed that every first-born child will be named either Google Fiber or Googlette Fiber.^[13] The city of Rancho Cucamonga, California dubbed their city, "Rancho Googlemonga".^[14]
• Comedian and United States Senator Al Franken made a YouTube video to support Duluth, Minnesota's bid.^[15]
• Ann Arbor, Michigan has its own YouTube channel^[16] featuring a David Letterman-style Top Ten list delivered by town VIPs such as Mayor John Hieftje and University of Michigan President Mary Sue Coleman. Ann Arbor also held a city-wide GoogleFest,^[17] kicking off with a gathering of hundreds of participants dancing and chanting "Ann Arbor Google Fiber, ain't Nothing any finer."^[18]

Trial near Stanford[link]

In summer 2011 Google launched free trial of its forthcoming fiber service in one residential community near Stanford University in Palo Alto, California.^[19]

Google Fiber hoax[link]

On April Fools' Day 2012, Google Fiber announced that their product is an edible Google Fiber bar instead of fiber-optic internet broadband.^[20] It is stated that the Google Fiber bar delivers "what the body needs to sustain activity, energy and productivity."^[20]

See also[link]

• Digital divide
• Internet access worldwide
• List of countries by number of broadband Internet users
• National broadband plans from around the world
• Communications in the United States
• Internet in the United States

External links[link]

• Google Fiber for Communities: Think big with a gig
• Official Google Blog
• List of government responses for Google Fiber
• FiberKC: A creative forum formed to support Google Fiber in Kansas City
• Kansas City IT Professionals: A grassroots technology community of 7500+ members supporting Kansas City Google Fiber

References[link]

Gabe Newell
Newell at the 2010 Game Developers Conference
Born	(1962-11-03) November 3, 1962 (age 49)
Alma mater	Harvard University (dropped out)
Occupation	Managing director of Valve Corporation
Net worth	Est. $1.5 billion[1]

Gabe Logan Newell (born November 3, 1962) is the co-founder and managing director of the video game development and online distribution company Valve Corporation.

Work[link]

After having dropped out of Harvard University^[2] Newell spent thirteen years working for Microsoft Corporation, ultimately becoming a "Microsoft Millionaire". Newell has described himself as "producer on the first three releases of Windows".^[3] Inspired by Michael Abrash, who left Microsoft to work on the computer game Quake at id Software, Newell and another Microsoft employee, Mike Harrington, left Microsoft to found Valve in 1996.^[3] He and Harrington used their money to fund Valve through the development of Half-Life.

During production on Half-Life 2, he spent several months focusing on the Steam project.^[4]

In 2007, Newell openly expressed his displeasure over developing his software for gaming consoles, particularly the PlayStation 3. In regard to the system, Newell was once quoted as claiming that developing processes for the console in general was "a waste of everybody's time"^[5] and "a disaster on many levels ... I'd say, even at this late date, they should just cancel it and do a do over. Just say, 'This was a horrible disaster and we're sorry and we're going to stop selling this and stop trying to convince people to develop for it'."^[6] Nevertheless, at E3 in 2010, Newell appeared on stage at Sony's keynote; while acknowledging his past outspoken comments on console development, he discussed the open nature of Sony's PlayStation 3 platform, and announced Portal 2 for the console, remarking that with Steamworks support it would be the best version for any console.^[7] Newell has also criticized the Xbox Live service, referring to it as "a train wreck".^[8]

In December 2010, Forbes named Newell as "A Name You Should Know" mainly for his work on Steam having partnerships with multiple major developers.^[9][10] In March 2012, Forbes estimated the net worth of Newell as $1.5 billion dollars, ranking 854th out of 1,226 global billionaires.^[11]

Personal life[link]

Gabe is married to Lisa Newell and has two sons.^[12] He suffered from Fuchs' dystrophy, a congenital disease which affects the cornea, but was cured by two cornea transplants in 2006 and 2007.^[13]

His favorite games are Super Mario 64, Doom, and Star Trek played on a Burroughs mainframe computer. Doom convinced him that video games were the future of entertainment, and Super Mario 64 convinced him video games were art.^[14]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Gabe Newell

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Gabe Newell

• Gabe Newell at the Valve Developer Community wiki

Interviews:

• Discussing Valve at Rock, Paper, Shotgun
• Interview from August 2007 at Eurogamer
• The story of the development of Half-Life 2 at Gamespot
• Gabe Newell on Half-Life 2 at HL2 Central