Google has asked cities in nine metropolitan areas inside the U.S. to help consider how they could help bring the search giant’s gigabit Internet service into their localities.Milo Medin, vice president of access services at Google, unveiled the plans in a Feb. 19 blog post and said 34 cities in total were selected for this round of potential Google Fiber expansion.
“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,” Medin wrote.
New metropolitan areas that will participate in the initiative include:
- Atlanta
- Charlotte
- Nashville
- Phoenix
- Portland, Ore.
- Salt Lake City
- San Jose, Calif.
- San Antonio
- Raleigh-Durham, N.C.
Studies will focus on topography, housing density, condition of local infrastructure and items cities will need to help prepare for a Google Fiber project, Medin says.
Cities will be responsible for mapping utility lines with the goal of helping Google figure out where to place the 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,” according to Medin.
