Milo Medin of Google Fiber this week announced in a blog that it would begin "early discussions" with 34 cities in nine metro areas to explore bringing its high-speed fiber Internet service to them. The surprise move would bring Internet services 100 times faster than basic broadband to millions of residents.
The metro areas include: San Jose, Calif.; Raleigh-Durham, N.C.; Atlanta, Ga; Charlotte, N.C.; Nashville, Tenn.; Salt Lake City, Utah; San Antonio, Texas; Phoenix, Ariz.; and Portland, Ore. For the San Jose metro area, it includes Santa Clara, Mountain View, Sunnyvale and Palo Alto. In the last two years, Google has built fiber networks in Kansas City, Mo., and Kansas City, Kan.; Provo, Utah; and Austin, Texas.
"People are hungrier than ever for faster Internet, and as a result, cities across America are making speed a priority,” Google’s Medin said in its announcement Wednesday. “Hundreds of mayors from across the U.S. have stated that abundant high-speed Internet access is essential for sparking innovation, driving economic growth, and improving education. . . [T]he Internet’s next chapter will be built on gigabit speeds."
Medin said it is inviting cities in nine metro areas around the U.S. — 34 cities — to work with it “to explore what it would take to bring them Google Fiber.” Between now and then, Google will work with each city’s leaders on a joint planning process that would map out the Google Fiber network in detail and assess local challenges. Google Fiber would undertake a detailed study of local factors that could affect construction, like topography such as hills and flood zones, housing density and the condition of local infrastructure. Medin said the cities would complete a check list of items that would help them get ready for a project of this scale and speed. This may include provision of maps of existing conduit, water, gas and electricity lines so Google can plan where to place fiber. Cities may also help find ways to access existing infrastructure like utility poles so streets don’t have to be dug up or new poles erected next to existing ones. He said by end of the year, he would be in a position to update what cities will be getting Google Fiber.
It is unclear how much consumers would pay for Google’s broadband in the new service areas, but Google charges about $70 month for one gigabit (1,000 Mbps) of service in Kansas City, its first fiber market. A free package of 5 Mbps download and 1 Mbps upload is provided free if the resident pays a $300 construction fee. Whatever the cost, the new fiber service sets Google up as a key competitor to incumbent cable and phone companies, who currently provide the bulk of wired broadband service.
The inclusion of a California fiber project in Google’s expansion plans was unexpected, because Google representatives often have cited difficult permitting and environmental review requirements in the state. The company’s reservations have been awkward politically for the dominant search engine company, whose global headquarters are in Mountain View, California.
