Google Fiber eyeing Atlanta, other metro cities for super-fast Internet, TV service

Everyone’s so thrilled

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  • Google
  • We’re all gonna be rich! Or just blessed with fast Internet speeds!

If you’re wondering why your company’s IT guy is walking around giddy as can be, it’s because Google today announced that it’s considering Atlanta and several other neighboring cities to expand its high-speed Internet and TV service called Fiber.

The service is roughly 100 times faster than your typical broadband connection and packages can start around $70 per month, which can be cheaper than some other providers. Fiber is already up and running in Provo, Utah, and Kansas City, Mo. Austin is next on the list of cities to receive the service. Here’s a handy one-pager about Fiber.

The metro Atlanta cities under consideration are Atlanta, Avondale Estates, Brookhaven, College Park, Decatur, East Point, Hapeville, Sandy Springs, and Smyrna. Google hopes to announce its selection by the end of the year.

“Between now and then, we’ll work closely with each city’s leaders on a joint planning process that will not only map out a Google Fiber network in detail, but also assess what unique local challenges we might face,” Google Access Services Vice President Milo Medin wrote in a blog post. “These are such big jobs that advance planning goes a long way toward helping us stick to schedules and minimize disruption for residents.”

He continues: “We’re going to work on a detailed study of local factors that could affect construction, like topography (e.g., hills, flood zones), housing density and the condition of local infrastructure. Meanwhile, cities will complete a checklist of items that will help them get ready for a project of this scale and speed. For example, they’ll provide us with maps of existing conduit, water, gas and electricity lines so that we can plan where to place fiber. They’ll also help us find ways to access existing infrastructure - like utility poles - so we don’t unnecessarily dig up streets or have to put up a new pole next to an existing one.”

And if there’s one thing Atlanta has, it’s plenty of godforsaken utility poles.

Mayor Kasim “iRobot” Reed seems pleased. He says via an emailed statement:

“We are excited about the possibility of Google Fiber service coming to Atlanta. Ultra-high speed Internet service will strengthen our economic development opportunities and set our citizens up to succeed in our hyper-connected world. Atlanta is rapidly becoming known for its nurturing of the high-tech industry, which translates into new, high-paying jobs. Google Fiber also presents a great opportunity to bridge the digital divide that exists in some of our communities, allowing more people to compete on today’s high-tech playing field. I’m confident we’ll be able to show Google that the City of Atlanta is well worth the investment.”