Petition To Bring Google Fiber To Memphis Seeks 10K
Posted: Dec 19, 2014 8:31 PM CST Updated: Dec 26, 2014 8:31 PM CST
By Sarah Bleau, Reporter
From: http://www.myfoxmemphis.com/story/27675398/petition-to-bring-google-fiber-to-memphis-seeks-10k
New development announcements for Memphis brought a lot of Bluff City pride this week: IKEA and H&M, to start.
Memphians now hope Google Fiber is next.
Google Fiber delayed its next announcement for the latest cities receiving the high-speed internet network until after the New Year. A statement this week by the company said mayors and city leaders across the country stepped up to make high-speed broadband access a priority.
“If businesses know that there is superfast Internet being offered in Memphis and for an affordable decent reasonable price, then there are going to be businesses that are going to want to come here,” said Shawn Mufti, a University of Memphis student who created a petition to bring Google Fiber to Memphis.
He created the petition in mid-July, after Google Fiber announced in February it was heading to Nashville.
“It brought me great frustration knowing that Memphis has the highest poverty rate in the nation for city of its size; I think I saw one estimate as high as 28.7-percent,” Mufti said, “So as the old adage goes if you want something done right you got to do it yourself.”
Within four days the petition reached 1,000 signatures. With the renewed Memphis development energy circulating, Mufti is now hoping to reach 10,000 followers.
“I’ve been meeting with some community stakeholders like hospitals, colleges, banks and universities, just people who have a really big influence in this community, trying to gather information on how high-speed Internet has benefited their business or agency,” said Mufti.
Sign and share his petition to bring Google Fiber to Memphis at this link: https://www.change.org/p/bring-google-fiber-to-memphis-tn