Tempe, Scottsdale and Phoenix are partnering with Google to potentially bring ultra-high-speed Internet to their residents.
Google Fiber offers speeds of 1 gigabit per second, 100 times faster than normal broadband internet, according to a press release from the city of Phoenix. It’s already available in Kansas City and Provo, Utah, and Austin, Texas, should have the network later this year.
On Wednesday, Google announced that 34 cities in nine metro areas would begin working with the company to explore what it would take to provide Google Fiber in residential areas.
Andrew Silvestri, public policy and government relations manager at Google, said the company’s next step is looking into what’s required to construct a Google Fiber network in these cities.
“We’re fortunate that these cities and these mayors have decided to partner with us,” he said.
Google is investigating the cities’ topography and existing infrastructure to determine whether any unexpected issues could halt or slow construction. The company should know by the end of the year which cities will definitely be moving forward with receiving Google Fiber.
At a press conference held Wednesday at the Downtown campus, the mayors of all three cities said they were looking forward to working with Google and with each other.
“This is truly a partnership between Google and all three communities right now,” Tempe Mayor Mark Mitchell said. “When you invest in infrastructure, great things happen.”
Mitchell, as well as Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton and Scottsdale Mayor Jim Lane, said the cities do not expect it to be a major monetary commitment but that they are ready to invest political support and staff resources in the project.
“The city is poised and ready, each of us are, to make that investment,” Lane said.
Reach the managing editor at julia.shumway@asu.edu or follow @JMShumway on Twitter.
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