Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:GOOGL) Google Fiber is set to initiate one of the biggest ventures in its history, as it plans for the commencing of Google Fiber 2.0 in Louisville, San Antonio and Huntsville, Alabama. This will serve as a showpiece of their intentions to go on a wider scope, of taking their primed competition with current giant fiber provider in the US, AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T).
Of the three cities, Louisville ranks highly as the most likely start up destination owing to the city’s thirst for more competition in the broadband service, and the mayor’s approval of such. There is also optimism for Google Fiber owing to the fact that AT&T has not effectively maximized on the area. The response to their service wasn’t that great. Google hopes to capitalize by making the internet more accessible to every home and at high speeds.
This however will face stern competition in the mold of their main rival AT&T, who have deployed personnel to do a thorough revamp of their earlier job and get every home wired. The infrastructure involved of utility poles also belongs to AT&T, who are in no mood of sorts of sharing. By using the utility poles, it will save Google Fiber tons of finances involved in the most financially consuming part of the whole process of “digging ditches and climbing poles to connect cables to every single residence.”
Louisville government had however earlier passed a law of “one touch make ready”. This gives consent to fiber companies to effectively cut down on the costs and time duration required to situate fiber optics networks. This is done via means of stationing equipment on utility poles. Google added that, “it means more safety for drivers and the neighborhood.” AT&T opposed that and the matter is currently in court.
The city seems to be in favor of Google Fiber setting up, highlighted by the mayor, Greg Fischer who stated on social media, “We will vigorously defend the lawsuit filed today by AT&T. Gigabit fiber is too important to our city’s future.”
Google Fiber’s plans came to an earlier, temporary sabotage when CEO Craig Barratt announced he would be stepping down in October last year. However the objective seems to be back up and ready to roll on.
How this pans out, will not only be interesting, but will also be a big pointer to how the likely trend will be in other cities across the US as the battle of the fiber goes on a higher scale.
