Google Fiber will begin work on an all-fiber gigabit network that will serve residents and businesses in Westminster, Colorado later this year. The company also said it will build a network in Chandler, Arizona.
Construction, which will take place on the city’s rights of way and easements, will use microtrenching techniques on the public side of the street in order to reduce impact. The City of Westminster said services would commence as segments are completed.
The company will work closely with the city to develop door hangers, signage and other communications to keep residents, including homeowners’ associations and neighborhoods, apprised of progress.
Microtrenching is seen as a less costly and less disruptive alternative to traditional fiber burial as it requires less digging up of streets.
Google initially used microtrenching several years ago but ran into some difficulties with the technology, which the company says have since been addressed.
Google Fiber participates in the FCC’s Affordable Connectivity Program. Eligible residents will get a $30 subsidy toward their subscriptions.
The company said last year that it would begin offering 5 Gbps and 8 Gbps networks in 2023. The press release on the Westminster project only says that it will be a gigabit network, however.
Google Fiber, which was a groundbreaker in high capacity broadband networking, has changed direction multiple times since it first began deploying gigabit networks over 10 years ago.
The company made the announcement of the higher speeds in October. It said that the 5 Gbps option would be priced at $125 per month and the 8 Gbps option at $150. Kansas City – the initial Google Fiber city – and Des Moines would be early test sites of the high capacity offerings, which would come with optional Wi-Fi 6 routers, two mesh extenders and professional installation.
After a period of inactivity, Google Fiber CEO Dinni Jain said last August that the company was talking to city leaders in Colorado, Nebraska, Nevada and Idaho. It is unclear if this week’s announcement was a result of those conversations. The company announced a project in Mesa, AZ, last July.
Google Fiber also is available in Lakewood, CO. The city claims to be the first in the state to get Google Fiber.
Updated to note that Google Fiber also plans to build a network in Chandler, Arizona.
