Google and Cisco at FiberFête

The future of urban broadband is defined by the Google Gigabit Project and Cisco's Connected Urban Development (CUD) Project. Minnie Ingersoll, Product Manager for Google Gigabit, will participate in FiberFête.  Bas Boorsma, Cisco Director of CUD is also confirmed. In addition, other Google and Cisco participants may join Ingersoll and Boorsma.

Google's Gigabit Project, also known as Google Fiber for Communities, has sparked imaginative excitement since it was announced on February 10. The city of Topeka has re-named itself "Google, Kansas" for the month of March to try to attract Google's attention. To parody Topeka's announcement, Duluth, Minnesota has jokingly declared that first born males in the city shall be named “Google Fiber” and all first born females shall be “Googlette Fiber.” Duluth's mayor says this is a parody of the "Google pandering arms race."

Lafayette doesn't need to pander; it already has the network Google seeks. Google representatives are delighted to come to FiberFête to learn about LUS Fiber and share their goals with Lafayette.

Cisco's Connected Urban Development Program is a global effort to introduce fundamental improvements in urban infrastructure through information and communications technology (ICT). CUD cities around the world include San Francisco, Amsterdam, Seoul, Birmingham (UK), Hamburg, Lisbon, and Madrid. The original impetus was a Clinton Global Initiative commitment to use high tech to make urban environments more sustainable, but the effort now touches almost every aspect of urban life and an integrated vision of cities of the future. At FiberFête, CUD Director Bas Boorsma will explain further.

Boorsma, from The Netherlands, will join at least four other distinguished guests coming from Europe to participate in FiberFête.