Why Google, AT&T fast Internet might skip your city | www.myajc.com

If you live in one of 18 metro Atlanta cities, Internet connections 100 times faster than most American homes have may be coming your way soon.

Government officials and community activists are confused about how candidate cities were selected. They worry that unpicked cities will suffer more than bruised egos, becoming less competitive for jobs and residents. And some are looking for other ways to get fast fiber.

Google spokeswoman Jenna Wandres said the company first choose promising metro areas with a drive for technology and fast network connections. Then, within each area, its primary driver was to focus on the core city and the closest communities. An area’s income or racial makeup “didn’t play a role at all,” she told the AJC.

Fiber expansion is costly and will take years to complete, Wandres said. “We had to draw the line somewhere.”

“What about us?” asks Elmer Veith, who lives in a newly annexed portion of Chamblee, which isn’t on Google’s list.

But Brookhaven, which is across the street from Veith’s neighborhood, is. So is Sandy Springs, much of which is outside the Perimeter, unlike Chamblee.

via Why Google, AT&T fast Internet might skip your city | www.myajc.com.