Topeka, Kansas, the small capital city in the heart of America’s prairieland, came under the international spotlight last week when the city’s mayor announced he would rename his town “Google, Kansas.” Granted, the name change is temporary, but the rebranding decision came as an interesting twist in the city’s play to attract the “Fiber for Communities” initiative that Google® is spearheading.
Apart from the late-night barbs and opinion pieces about the absurdity of the name, the decision was not a whimsical move. The mayor hopes the cute alias will attract the Internet giant’s attention as it narrows locations for its high speed Internet program. The aggressive program, designed to provide wired Internet at 100 times the current average speed, has roused Internet providers who see it as a game-changing ploy by Google to own a market that they have defined. Needless to say, current providers are not happy. Continue reading ‘A city by any other name…’
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