What is Troygle?

Troygle is a group of Troy citizens committed to bringing Google's ultra-high-speed broadband to Troy to transform the way people play and do business here, and to catapult Troy into the future. Google will be test-piloting ultra-high-speed broadband in select communities around the United States, and Troy has the opportunity to apply to be a part of this trial. With cities across the nation vying to stand out and attract Google’s broadband network, local citizens have been hard at work trying to attract the company to the Collar City.

Your help is needed! It takes just a few minutes to fill out a very simple application to let Google know why Troy is a great place. The more residents who apply, the better the chances of winning the bid. Applications are due March 26th. Click here.

Not only is Troy the “All-American City” – the official home of Uncle Sam – Troy is the birthplace of countless innovations, the place where history, culture and technology meet. It has an educational environment, with excellent infrastructure and modest costs for housing and commercial space. It is time for Troy’s next innovation – to lead the way with Google by bringing ultra-high-speed broadband to a diverse, creative, historic city.

A number of meetings have been held by the Troygle group to discuss the application for Google to use the city as one of its test sites for its upcoming ultra-high-speed broadband network and  to discuss the many community and technology-based details which must go into the city’s application.  With the help of resident Lisa Graham, a video shoot was also held during the Waterfront Farmers market in the Troy Atrium to interview local residents about why they want Google broadband and how their lives and businesses would benefit from such technology. The group is hosting a face-off in Monument Square on March 23rd, from 5-7pm called "The Need for Speed" between the Hellions of Troy roller derby league and the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute hockey team while  incorporating Google tools and technology into the event.

Google's ultra-high-speed broadband will benefit Troy and the community in countless ways:

• JOBS - The greater efficiency and speed will facilitate the ability of its citizens to better do their jobs, to find a job, and will spur private enterprise. It will lay a foundation for job creation by helping to attract private companies to base themselves here.
• CONNECTION - It will help connect all institutions to the community - including Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Hudson Valley Community College, Russell Sage College, and all of the schools, nonprofits and private sector businesses. It will serve as a bridge to bring Rensselaer's advance technological innovations to all of Troy.
• COMMUNICATION - It will allow nonprofits to better serve their constituents, bringing high-speed wireless to lower-income residents and families who might not otherwise have access, thus opening up their worlds and creating more opportunities.
• ACCESS - It will allow more access to broader collections of digital archives, multi-media and medical and biotechnology innovations, among other things.
• VIRTUAL TOURS OF TROY - It will enable the city to better market itself to the world - bringing the world to Troy, and bringing Troy to the world.

Google announced in February that it would deliver download speeds of up to 1 gigabit per second through fiber-optic connections, which the company claimed would provide an Internet experience more than 100 times faster than what most Americans have access to today. According to Google officials, the company plans to offer the service “at a competitive price,” to between 50,000 and 500,000 people to provide speeds which would allow them to more easily download high-definition video, stream three-dimensional images, and perform other tasks which require massive data transfer rates. Google has not said how many cities it intends to serve, or how much it is willing to spend to do it.

http://www.troygle.org/