Milwaukee will partner with media giant Clear Channel Communications in a digital billboard ad campaign to support the city’s Google Fiber application, officials announced last week.

Cities across the United States, including Madison, are applying for the chance to have the unprecedented high-speed Internet access, which will potentially be provided by Google across several test cities.

“Clear Channel Outdoor has very generously offered their promotional abilities to help alert Milwaukee residents to the Google project,” Milwaukee Common Council President Willie Hines said in a statement. “This coordinated effort between the city and local businesses helps demonstrate the valuable market Milwaukee could be for Google.”

If Milwaukee is selected for the Google Fiber project, this opportunity will create hundreds of jobs for the community and bring millions of dollars in infrastructure investment, according to the statement.

Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Common Council said the partnership between Milwaukee and Clear Channel Outdoor is simply a continuation of the company being a good corporate citizen and helping the city by providing free advertising space.

“In the past, Clear Channel has been very generous to the city of Milwaukee when we do public service type things,” Owczarski said.

In addition, Owczarski said he thinks it would be a great feather in the cap of the community of whichever city that receives the Google fiber project.

“The city would be the center of attention for 21st century jobs, and Milwaukee wants to be perceived as a community that fosters this,” Owczarski said.

Owczarski also thinks the Internet users in Milwaukee would benefit from the Google Fiber project.

“The users here — individual and institutional — will benefit from this connection through testing out new applications and providing feedback,” Owczarski said.

Mark Evans, director of technical services for the Madison Metropolitan School District, who has been a vocal supporter of Madison’s Google application, said no one really knows what kind of city Google is seeking to find through its application process.

“We can imagine that they’re seeking a place where an investment on their part would make a dramatic difference in the opportunity for all kinds of economic initiatives and technological innovations,” Evans said.

In addition, Evans said the Google Fiber project would change community dynamics and how people participate in the government, so communities around the country are very eager to compete.

Evans said he thinks Madison is one of the very best potential places in the country for the project because there are a lot of technology-related companies start-up businesses that would dramatically benefit. The Google Fiber project would also help Madison with its educational needs.

“The school district is trying to find ways to be frugal with taxpayers’ money while providing absolutely stellar education,” Evans said. “The city of Madison is extremely interested.”

Although Milwaukee is in such close proximity to Madison, Evans said he does not think it will make much of an impact on Madison’s chances for being selected because there are communities all across the country competing for this as well.