KC prepares for Google fiber: Group braintstorms ideas

KANSAS CITY, Missouri - Representatives from 60 Kansas City businesses met for a day-long brainstorming session Monday called "Building the Gigabit City". The idea was to come up with ways this city can use google fiber when it gets here.

Approximately 75 IT, social media and thought leaders took part, from companies like KU, St. Luke's, AMC, H and R Block, Verizon, Sporting KC, Alterra Bank, Kansas City Public Library, Quixotic Fusion, and more.

Those in attendance tell NBC Action News there were hundreds of ideas brought up in seven different topic areas of interest.

The areas of interest discussed were K-12 education, higher education, public libraries, urban core living, suburban living, health and mobility-challenged, and community actvities.

The group brainstormed different ways google fiber could work for KC within those seven areas of interest. Some examples of ideas brought up in a couple of those categories include:

- homes with sensors that will be able to identify security and fire risks and notify emergency personnel instantly online
- real time personal access to healthcare professionals via the web
- virtual mentoring programs for students and virtual job shadowing
- real time transportation applications such as live stream of routes and traffic solutions

The event was hosted by the Social Media Club of Kansas City and facilitated by the Brainzooming Group .