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Google Fiber: Coming to Raleigh-Durham/Charlotte/Atlanta/Nashville this Spring

Deadbolt

Deadbolt

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Suck it, Time Warner.

Research Triangle Park, N.C. — Google Fiber is coming to the Triangle, industry sources say, and construction could begin as early as April.

A formal announcement might come as early as next week at Google events in Raleigh and Durham, but the company won't say what those events are about.

Speaking to WRAL TechWire, a source who asked to remain anonymous said Google is seeking bids to begin building a fiber network as early as April. "Drill crews" have been sought for the fiber-laying process.

Google has been talking with Triangle-area engineering firms as well about a network, added another source who declined to be quoted by name..

Google's "Save the date" Google did not respond to a request for comment submitted through its media representatives in the Triangle.

Google has been in active discussions with local government representatives in both Raleigh and Cary about negotiating rights-of-way access and obtaining the zoning needed for the positioning of so-called "fiber huts" that would protect the network's equipment.

Google has steadfastly refused to discuss any possible Triangle plans, having delayed a fiber expansion announcement that had been expected before 2014 came to a close.

Raleigh: No comment

WRAL TechWire reported Dec. 2 that Google had formed a Google Fiber company legally in North Carolina.

When a top Google Fiber executive came to town on Dec. 9, she talked about how communities can work with Google Fiber to land possible expansion and praised Raleigh's efforts, led by Chief Technology Officer Gail Roper.

Roper declined to comment about Google when reached by WRAL Capitol Bureau Chief Laura Leslie, citing a non-disclosure agreement.

Google has scheduled events on Jan. 28 in Raleigh and 29 in Durham.

AT&T declined comment when asked if the company was aware of Google's plans. .

The company also declined to respond to a question about whether Google would seek to lease so-called "black," or unused fiber, that AT&T is already laying in parts of the Triangle for its own "U-verse with GigaPower" entertainment and Internet network.

Google Fiber and AT&T's network offer gigabit Internet access, which is up to 100 times faster than standard Internet speeds.

AT&T is in the process of designing the North Carolina Next Generation Network, having won a contract from a consortium that includes the cities of Raleigh, Cary, Durham, Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Winston-Salem as well as Duke University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina State University and Wake Forest University.

Frontier: Fiber not for sale

Frontier Communications is building its own fiber service in Durham County and says it won't be providing fiber to any other providers.

"We do not sell or lease dark fiber," said Dennis Bloss, vice president and general manager for Frontier Communications in North Carolina. "We will be using our fiber for our network."

Bloss also said he had not been contacted by Google.

Google Fiber operates in the Kansas City area and is going head-to-head with AT&T in Austin, Texas.

WRAL TechWire any time: Twitter, Facebook

Read more at http://wraltechwire.com/sources-goo...er-to-triangle-/14382720/#rqEjZLEgfcWctT4m.99
 
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Huge news. I'm very excited from the standpoint of what this means for innovation and start-ups, but also excited as a consumer because this is just more competition for a lower monthly TV/internet bill. It's already pretty sweet being able to play TWC off AT&T U-Verse. Just need Google to add AMC and the Sundance channels to its TV lineup.
 
I will go out and help them dig the ditch to get it in my neighborhood - bad back and all.
 
CHillDeac said:
From what I've heard, yes. It's going to be Raleigh, Durham, Cary, Chapel Hill and Carrboro.
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You might be thinking of the NCNGN initiative that includes those municipalities + Winston-Salem + Wake/Duke/NCSU/UNC. They recently signed an agreement with AT&T to bring in AT&T's gigabit service. Google Fiber is handling its business separately, and I've only heard of "Raleigh/Durham" or the "Triangle" referenced as a potential service area, so it's unclear to me how far they'll go, although I imagine it would include Cary, Chapel Hill and Carrboro.
 
They unveiled this in Austin a few months back. Even rented some store space downtown. What's the TV part of this? Would love to kick TWC and their hidden fees and taxes and random price changes to the fucking curb.
 
So, in those cities where they have rolled it out, was it just in the burbs/boundaries where recent development makes it easier? Or did they roll it out in the older neighborhoods as well? The cost/difficulty of running fiber in the cities makes me think it is the former.
 
I could be wrong, but I think they are planning to attach to existing utility poles for most of the system. The higher density of residents close to town also helps.
 
AMCDeac said:
I could be wrong, but I think they are planning to attach to existing utility poles for most of the system. The higher density of residents close to town also helps.
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Fingers crossed. Efforts by AT&T U-Verse and Verizon FIOS in Charlotte have always been slow to make it into the city, if they make it at all. If AT&T, the established phone network for the city, hasn't even been able to get a Fiber node into the older neighborhoods for UVerse, much less fiber to the home required for their announced Gigapower network in Charlotte, I guess I'll hold out hope that Google will be different. FIOS jumped into some of the newer neighborhoods in Ballentyne and SW Charlotte, but I'm not even sure if they are still offering service in the area at this point.
 
City in Decline gets it too bitches.

HOTLANA
 
Official announcement in about 15 mins but the Wall Street Journal is reporting that Google is bringing Fiber internet service to Carrboro, Cary, Chapel Hill, Durham, Garner, Morrisville, and Raleigh.
 
Can anyone let me in on what all the excitement is about? I've had fiber through a local utility for cable and internet for years here in rural southwest VA. But the 1 GBPS internet is $319 a month. Is Google going to be cheaper? Or is there some other appeal?
 
BacktoBack said:
Can anyone let me in on what all the excitement is about? I've had fiber through a local utility for cable and internet for years here in rural southwest VA. But the 1 GBPS internet is $319 a month. Is Google going to be cheaper? Or is there some other appeal?
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Way cheaper. Competitive with normal copper wire internet. Here's the pricing structure in Kansas City, Austin and Provo where they currently offer service:

  • Gigabit + TV: $120/month ($300 construction fee waived)
  • Gigabit Internet: $70/month ($300 construction fee waived)
  • Basic Internet: $0/month (for up to seven years starting from the date your address was first connected to the Google Fiber network for any person) + $300 construction fee
Click to expand...
 
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