Google says it will not consider any application from Dublin City Council to allow the capital take part in the company's latest technological revolution.

Council officials are preparing a formal proposal to use the city as a guinea pig for the roll-out of a superfast broadband network alongside several small American communities.

The technology, if successful, would allow the use of 3D medical imaging in doctors' offices and universities, or internet connections of up to 100 times the speed currently available.

Dublin councillor Eoghan Murphy, who is leading the charge for Dublin's inclusion in the project, said there would be no better location given that the city is home to Google's European headquarters.

"I have been talking to the IT department [in DCC] and we are sending in a 'Request For Information' form," he said.

"It's being put together at the moment and it asks for different socio-economic information in the area in question. It might be a bit of a long shot but we are trying."

Whatever about Google's reluctance to consider locations outside the US, council officials fear that strict European competition law could prevent Dublin from taking part.

Such a move could be viewed as a European government granting favourable treatment and conditions to a private company, particularly in relation to accommodating the physical roll-out of cable and technological infrastructure.

"It's my understanding that state money wouldn't be involved; it's Google who would be charging for the service but it has been said to me that it's a potential stumbling block," said Cllr Murphy. "It hasn't been opened up outside America and I don't know why. Maybe they thought other countries wouldn't be interested but we are going to try."

For its part, Google is not yet looking towards any international roll-out of the technology and Dublin City Council's efforts seem doomed to failure.

A spokeswoman for the company said: "We have no plans beyond a few communities in the US ? we're not even planning to roll it out across the whole of America. So an application outside the US would not be considered."