WVU supporting Morgantown's "We Want A Gig" campaign

March 12th, 2010

Faster and more furious than a nitrous oxide-boosted Camaro.

Cooler than warp speed; quicker than hyperdrive.

Surfing the internet in Morgantown could be added to that list if a campaign to land one of Google’s one-gigabit-per-second internet connections is successful.

Google has announced plans to test an ultra high-speed broadband network in one or more trial locations across America over fiber-to-home connections. This presents Morgantown and the surrounding WVU community the opportunity to receive the internet at speeds 100 times faster than most Americans use, bringing millions of online tools to educators, students, researchers, business and families.

Morgantown Mayor Bill Byrne, with support from WVU, is determined that the city he leads be one of those test communities and they are asking as many people as possible in the Morgantown area to get on the team to make it so.

The City of Morgantown and WVU have joined forces to tell Google bosses exactly why Morgantown “wants a gig.” The detailed application process calls for a big demonstration of community support for the initiative and that is where Byrne is looking for help.

Anyone wishing to put their shoulder behind the wheel has a number of options to get involved immediately including:

  • Nominate Morgantown: Google has created a simple, five-minute nomination process where businesses, residents and organizations can express their support for this project to come to their town. A website for the Morgantown push has been established – www.WeWantAGig.com – for that purpose. Visitors to site should click “nominate Morgantown now” button to start the process.
  • Tell us what you would do with a gigabit: Create a short video answering the question “What would you do with faster Internet?” If you can’t make a video, take a picture holding up a card with your answer on it. All submissions will be used to build the Google proposal. To upload a video, go to http://wewantagig.sitespace.wvu.edu/ . To share a video you already have on YouTube or upload a new one click the “Submit Your Video Response” button and follow the prompts. You must have a YouTube account to use this service. Once the video is approved you’ll see it on the “We Want a Gig!” YouTube Direct page. They can also be sent to info@cityofmorgantown.org.
  • Showcase the Next Generation: A suite of signs and banners have been created for students to hold up for video or picture projects demonstrating support for the effort. If any class or group in the Morgantown area would like to participate, contact info@cityofmorgantown.org for details. Videos and pictures are an ideal way for WVU clubs, groups or even resident hall organizations to get in on the action.
  • Join the conversation: Morgantown residents and University students, faculty and staff can join the buzz on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn by accessing the options on the WeWantAGig.com website.
  • Spread the word: Tell others about the application and urge them to participate in the activities above.

Morgantown and WVU have done this before. In the early 1970s, Morgantown was selected as a demonstration site for the U.S. Department of Transportation’s initiative to create a technology-driven mass transit system. The result was the PRT, a state-of-the-art operator-free computer program driven transit system designed and built in Morgantown to serve the University, its hospital and the city. The system became the model for hundreds that have since been developed nationally and internationally.

The one gigabit Google network is the 21st Century version of the PRT project.

Morgantown and WVU have created a community that has attracted a slew of awards including:

  • Fifth Best Boomtown City in the County by Inc.com, 2007
  • Ninth Best Place for Business and Careers by Forbes Magazine, 2007
  • 29th Smartest Place to Live in the US by Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Magazine, 2006
  • Fifth Best Place for Business and Careers by Forbes Magazine, 2006
  • Twelfth Hottest Small City: Boomtown, by Inc. Magazine, 2006
  • Third Best Small Town in America by Men’s Journal, 2004
  • Well Workplace Bronze Award by the Wellness Councils of America, 2003
  • Graded “A” in Economic Development by BizJournals.com (21 of 496), 2002
  • Selected #1 Deamtown in county by BizJournals.com, 2000
  • Best Small City in the East and Third Best in America by Guide to Life in America’s Small Cities, 1999

These awards and the fact that Morgantown has one of the nation’s lowest jobless rates present compelling evidence that the city could make a perfect model for testing the next generation of Goggle services.

The City of Morgantown is busy preparing its application to Google and the residents of the city need to help do the rest.

-WVU-

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