More than 1,100 communities have applied to host the experimental super-fast network that Google is to deploy as a first stage in a plan to dramatically boost broadband speeds across the United States, dpa quoted the web search giant as revealing. In addition to the 1,100 requests from local government bodies, Google managers said they received an additional 194,000 individual nominations by the time the deadline for applications passed Sunday night. In a blog posting, product manager James Kelly said the company hopes to reach between 50,000 and 500,000 people with the experiment, which will deliver internet speeds of 1 gigabit per second through optical fiber-to-the-home connections - more than 100 times faster than most current residential broadband speeds. "Network providers are making real progress to expand and improve high-speed internet access, but there's still more to be done," Kelly said. "We don't think we have all the answers - but through our trial, we hope to make a meaningful contribution to the shared goal of delivering faster and better internet for everyone."
