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Google buying $39M fiber service in Utah for $1

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Re: Google buying $39M fiber service in Utah for $1

#5
A $39M fiber service that has been a constant drain on the city's coffers and is in serious need of upgrading. I read that the fiber pull is about half the cost of this; the other half is the routers, switches and other equipment it takes to make it work. I'm sure Provo City is breathing a sigh of relief at getting that weight off their back.

And I'm hoping that Googke will decide to extend its market to outlying communities. Much of American Fork was wired by the same original company, and my town is next to American Fork.

Come on, Google, it's only 12 miles! (My wife already prohibited a move for better Internet connectivity. :)

Re: Google buying $39M fiber service in Utah for $1

#6

A $39M fiber service that has been a constant drain on the city's coffers and is in serious need of upgrading. I read that the fiber pull is about half the cost of this; the other half is the routers, switches and other equipment it takes to make it work. I'm sure Provo City is breathing a sigh of relief at getting that weight off their back. And I'm hoping that Googke will decide to extend its market to outlying com…

Dang, your wife won't move to Provo either? Ok, I don't really want to move there either. But sometimes sacrifices have to be made in the name of fast internet!

On a more serious note. I had heard that Lehi did make a pitch to get Google Fiber when this first started. I wonder if there's still enough interest. This area is growing like crazy and it's rural enough to make installation easy.

Re: Google buying $39M fiber service in Utah for $1

#7
I am sure many more companies would have been interested in this deal. When it comes to selling the infrastructure built with tax-payer money, the government should be more transparent in its dealings. The city of Provo should have advertised the sale or lease of its fiber infrastructure and let companies bid on it. And the fiber should have gone to the highest bidder. Or at least, accept offers from multiple companies and let the residents decide (through voting) which company they want to give the infrastructure to.

Re: Google buying $39M fiber service in Utah for $1

#8

Please send ripples through to market Google.

All the news about where Google is rolling out GFiber seems to indicate they're getting their feet wet with smaller communities first, which makes logical sense in many ways.

On one hand the logistics of managing smaller municipal networks is easier, the politics is a lot less murky, and they establish a history of cooperation and reliability.

Where they start to ramp up in cities with >1M people is a mystery though, only time will tell. It may be Philadelphia, Cleveland, Atlanta, St Louis, Minneapolis, or even Dallas.

Re: Google buying $39M fiber service in Utah for $1

#9
post #8

Please send ripples through to market Google.

All the news about where Google is rolling out GFiber seems to indicate they're getting their feet wet with smaller communities first, which makes logical sense in many ways. On one hand the logistics of managing smaller municipal networks is easier, the politics is a lot less murky, and they establish a history of cooperation and reliability. Where they start to ramp up in cities with >1M people is a mystery though,…

The first two places ( I know it isn't much data points) were Silicon Prairie-ish places. Provo I was a bit surprised by, but I think the main draw there was the in-place fiber that just needs bought for the $1 and then upgraded.

Re: Google buying $39M fiber service in Utah for $1

#10
post #7

I am sure many more companies would have been interested in this deal. When it comes to selling the infrastructure built with tax-payer money, the government should be more transparent in its dealings. The city of Provo should have advertised the sale or lease of its fiber infrastructure and let companies bid on it. And the fiber should have gone to the highest bidder. Or at least, accept offers from multiple compani…

Are telephone lines and cable lines leased from the public as well? Or the right to? I'm a bit ignorant here, but I would think that in those situations there is no free bidding on infrastructure deals.
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