18 reasons why Google should build its fiber network project in Asheville

From a great post on googleavl.com by my buddy Clark Mackey of SparkDog. Click over to see the full list of 18 reasons:

I think you should build the fiber network in Asheville. It’s more than a hunch. Here’s why:

1. We are working hard on our own to make the world a better place. TEDx Asheville is one example of that push, as is Hatchfest. Check out the highlights from our 2009 TEDx.
2. We’ve been working with fiber already. ERC Broadband is a nonprofit that runs a fiber network in our area. We need more help though; the ERC network does not serve enough people. But they do know the ropes and could make your planning easier.
3. Asheville’s green building/green technology sector is growing fast and is full of ideas that need bandwidth.
4. It’s cheaper to build a network in areas where the population lives close together. Since we mainly live in valleys here, our town is more dense, in a good way, than most people realize. 
5. Good ideas are the product of fertile minds and fertile minds come from good schools. Asheville is the hub of a network of colleges and universities – The University of North Carolina Asheville, Warren Wilson College, Montreat College, Asheville-Buncombe Technology Community College and Blue Ridge Community College are all within a 20 mile radius. Western Carolina University, Mars Hill College and Brevard College are also close (within a 60 mile radius).