Kansas City Here We Come: Google Fiber Attracts Startups to “Silicon Prairie”
If you build a fiber-optic network, the startups will come. That’s what Google has found, after building a high-speed pipe to Kansas City. Google Fiber, which is a trial project, is wooing Kansas City tech companies with gigabit Internet connection speeds.
Kansas City is a long flight from Silicon Valley, but Google Fiber is drawing startups and has earned KC the nickname “Silicon Prairie.” (That’s geek humor for you.) The speed means companies can work with bandwidth-hogging content (like video) in an area that has lower costs of business than they’ll find in the Valley. For Google, it means more traffic and more opportunities to make money off advertising.
Google is bringing gigabit Internet connectivity to startups in Kansas City. Image credit: VisitKC.com
So, what’s the going rate for gigabit Internet? Startups are paying Google $70 a month for the pipe in Kansas City. (The service is being tested on both the Kansas and Missouri sides of the city.) Consumers are paying the same price when they buy homes that have built-in fiber connections.Kansas City is a long flight from Silicon Valley, but Google Fiber is drawing startups and has earned KC the nickname “Silicon Prairie.” (That’s geek humor for you.) The speed means companies can work with bandwidth-hogging content (like video) in an area that has lower costs of business than they’ll find in the Valley. For Google, it means more traffic and more opportunities to make money off advertising.
