BRAC launches Google fiber-optic campaign

The Baton Rouge Area Chamber today announced Geaux fiBR, an effort to convince Google to make Baton Rouge a proving ground for an ultra-high-speed broadband network capable of handling one gigabit per second, a rate that’s over 100 times faster than what is available today. Google plans to test such a network in at least one trial location in the U.S. “Baton Rouge has all the attributes to make a Google investment incredibly attractive, including a creative culture, a vibrant college student population, a robust technology business community, technically savvy education and health-care assets, and the highest percentage of college-educated adults in Louisiana,” says BRAC president Adam Knapp. Google’s request for information consists of two parts: an official response from the municipality and a community response. Geaux fiBR is spearheading the community response in coordination with the city-parish government’s response. Residents are encouraged to visit the Web site geauxfibr.com to provide support and submit ideas. RFIs must be submitted by March 26, BRAC says. The chamber also announced members of the Geaux fiBR community stakeholder coalition. They include: Mukul Verma, Baton Rouge Area Foundation; David Hastings, Baton Rouge General Regional Medical Center; Michael Moles, Bizzuka; John Carpenter, City of Baton Rouge/Parish of East Baton Rouge; Tommy Milazzo, Level 3 Communications; JR Ball, Business Report/Louisiana Business Inc.; Stacey Simmons, LSU Center for Computation & Technology; Stephen Loy, Louisiana Technology Park; Bryan Dixon, Mentorship Academies; Michael Trufant, NH Holding; Chas Roemer, Roemer, Robinson, Melville & Co.; and Michael Tipton, Teach for America.