Google Fiber has expanded its network build-out in Arizona and Colorado and signed right-of-way agreements with two additional suburban cities in its previously announced target metro areas of Phoenix and Denver. In a meeting with Colorado officials, it was also revealed that the carrier plans to launch a new low-cost class of service in the near future.
Last year, Google Fiber announced Mesa, Arizona, as its target for the Phoenix area, joining several other carriers looking to expand there. It added the adjacent city of Chandler - located south of Mesa - to its build-out list. In Colorado, Westminster joins Lakewood as another growth market for Google in the Denver area.
The Westminster City Council approved an agreement to allow Google Fiber to use the city's right-of-way for construction at a Feb. 6 meeting at which Google Fiber executives Louis Lipner and Jason Bone spoke.
During the meeting, officials revealed that discussions with carriers began as early as the third quarter of 2022, and that Google Fiber aims to serve "most" Westminster residents, with construction set to begin later this year. Initial service is expected to be available in 2024, and both Lipner and Bone told all that it is estimated to take two to three years to complete the build.
According to the U.S. Census, the city of Westminster has about 115,000 residents spread over about 47,000 households. Chandler, meanwhile, has about 280,000 citizens in more than 102,000 households.
The FCC's broadband coverage map shows that in Westminster, Google will enter a market served primarily by Comcast's wireline broadband and Lumen Technologies' fiber-optic Internet. City officials said they have been approached by two other carriers to execute similar right-of-way agreements, but did not disclose their names.
In Chandler, Google Fiber will compete with Cox Communications' fiber optic service and Lumen's legacy copper assets.
Low-cost options
The Affordable Connections Program (ACP) is a broadband subsidy from the FCC designed to lower the monthly cost of Internet service for low-income consumers. In response to the Commission's questions about pricing and affordability of the Google Fiber program, Lipner said, "When we offer the service to customers in Westminster, we also plan to roll out a lower-priced product so that the $30 subsidy will make the service effectively free to those customers who offer quality [for the Affordable Connectivity Plan]. "
Several other carriers, including Verizon, Comcast, and Charter Communications, have long offered lower-tier offerings that allow participating ACP consumers to use Internet service for free.
In addition to adding low-cost options, Google Fiber plans to supplement its existing 1 and 2 megabit offerings with 5 and 8 megabit tiers in early 2023.
