Google in talks to bring Google Fiber to 34 cities in 9 metro areas

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Google Fiber — Internet that’s up to 100 times faster than basic broadband has started early discussions with 34 cities in 9 metro areas around the United States to explore what it would take to bring a new fiber-optic network to their community.

These cities are led by people who have been working hard to bring faster Internet speeds and the latest technologies to their residents. Google believes these are communities who will do amazing things with a gig. And they are diverse — not just geographically, but in the ways they’ll give us opportunities to learn about the wide range of challenges and obstacles that communities might face in trying to build a new fiber network.

Google will be working closely with the mayors and staff from each of these 34 cities. Google will walk through details about the Google study and about the fiber-ready checklist, and answer any questions they have. After that, Google will be working closely with the cities over the next few months as Google work on their study and they work on their checklist. Then, the completed checklist items will be due to us on May 1.

If Google expands to all 34 cities, it would serve about 10 percent of U.S. consumers.

Arizona
– Phoenix, Scottsdale, Tempe
California
– San Jose, Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, Mountain View, Palo Alto
Georgia
– Atlanta, Avondale Estates, Brookhaven, College Park, Decatur, East Point, Hapeville, Sandy Springs, Smyrna
North Carolina
– Charlotte, Carrboro, Cary, Chapel Hill, Durham, Garner, Morrisville, Raleigh
Oregon
– Portland, Beaverton, Hillsboro, Gresham, Lake Oswego, Tigard
Tennessee
– Nashville-Davidson
Texas
– San Antonio
Utah
– Salt Lake City

There are three main items on the Google checklist:

Google is asking cities to ensure that Google, and other providers, can access and lease existing infrastructure. It would be wasteful and disruptive to put up duplicate utility poles or to dig up streets unnecessarily, when we could use existing poles or conduit.

Google is asking cities to provide accurate information about local infrastructure like utility poles, conduit and existing water, gas and electricity lines so Google would know where to efficiently place every foot of fiber.

Google is asking cities to make sure they have permit processes suitable for a project of this scale. Anyone building a large fiber network would need to submit thousands of construction permits — and many cities have small permitting offices that might not be prepared for that volume of paperwork. This will help us build as fast as we can and deliver service to residents as soon as possible.

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