Think big, think fast Topeka

I came to this race a little late. I had not heard of "Think Big Topeka" or the "Google Fiber" experiment until examiner.com asked to me write on the state of the Internet in Topeka. The 'quick synopsis' is my specialty. Here is what I have been able to confirm:

In February, Google Inc. announced plans to choose "one or more" smaller U.S. communities where they would install new fiber optic cables underground. I was not aware that Topeka didn't already have the good stuff. In fact, I wasn't even sure if I had it in Mission, Kansas, 45 miles to the East, so I contacted my provider.

Time Warner operates on both sides of the State Line in the Kansas City area and in Leavenworth, KS. I have nothing but rave reviews for their service. I've been a cable customer since 1981. They have never let me down. They charge a fee for keeping me up, but I don't mind paying for service when it is actually rendered.

I rang Time Warner KC and spoke with a good man named Tyler. He assured me that Kansas City has a fiber optic network. I was relieved. He then noted that I have Roadrunner® Standard Service and could benefit from Roadrunner Turbo® with Power Boost® for a small monthly fee of $5.00 for the first year then $10.00 after the trial period.

He'd led me in, so then I grilled the young man for more information. He was very helpful. He explained that the fiber optic cables extend only to the main terminals. Homes, apartment buildings and small businesses generally have the standard coaxial cable from the terminals to the structures. He did say that institutions such as Police, Fire and Rescue, and the schools are hooked up with the fast wire.

I thanked Tyler for the 4-1-1 and told him to sign me up for Roadrunner Turbo® with Power Boost®, a small price to pay for world-changing Internet speed.

I took this new wealth of knowledge and my now rocket-propelled browser and headed into cyberspace so that I could finish my report. Now, I'm downloading at...huh?...well, it used to take two minutes to download from YouTube and now it takes only one minute.

Perplexed, I decided to look for the big picture. I called the smartest person I know, the fisherman, Dan McGuire. He told me to look up 'Net Neutrality.'

Therein lies the e-rub.  He said, "The Internet Service Providers are not interested in improving peer to peer performance. We already pay through the nose for service that they purposely limit in order to establish different tiers of service with increasing price levels."

So, I've sent new questions to the folks at thinkbigtopeka.com, the City and County Offices, and to the Capital-Journal. We'll explore those questions and answers in my next installment.

Richard Brotbeck
Topeka Internet Examiner