March 8 update:  Survey now available

Following Google’s Feb. 10 announcement of its “Google Fiber for Communities” initiative, by which it will provide 1-gigabit Internet connectivity to as many as 500,000 people, a group of Harvard residents formed to see if Harvard wanted to respond. On Feb. 19 Harvard’s Board of Selectmen voted unanimously to make the application as a town, and to reach out to surrounding towns for additional participation. To date, Ayer, Shirley, and MassDevelopment/Devens have agreed to apply with Harvard, and discussions are under way with Littleton, Boxborough, and Bolton.

The group has set up a Google group to facilitate the work (http://groups.google.com/group/next-gen-community) and is inviting everyone with interest to join, to monitor progress, or to help. An online survey is being set up to collect data about current Internet services and to gauge community interest. Links to the survey will be published on websites in participating towns, as soon as it is available.

The group is meeting on Thursday evenings at the library in Volunteers Hall at 7 p.m. and on Sunday afternoons at 4 p.m. on the third floor of the General Store, until the proposal has been submitted. Anyone wishing to help develop the proposal is welcome.

Deadline for proposals is March 26. The group needs as many survey responses as possible, as soon as possible. Survey results will be incorporated with the response.