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Progress is being made in bringing Mountain View the ultra fast Internet access promised by Google Fiber, according to an agreement announced Tuesday.

After a closed-door meeting about Google Fiber on Tuesday, City Attorney Jannie Quinn said is moving ahead with plans to license Google Fiber network “huts” — box-like structures which require 1,400 square feet of land and would be placed around Mountain View to serve 20,000 homes each. City officials previously reported that three of the huts may need to be placed on city land.

Mayor Chris Clark said that the agreement doesn’t mean Mountain View has been chosen as one of the cities Google where will build the network, though that announcement may come by the end of the year.

“Council endorses the terms of a hut license agreement and expresses continued support for moving forward with Google Fiber in the city of Mountain View,” Quinn said in her announcement.

Google proposed to work with the city to build the network in February as it announced it would shut down the free WiFi system that had covered all of Mountain View, a gift it gave the city in 2006. It’s unclear when the Google Fiber deal will be done or how long it will take to install the network, but Google Fiber could bring residents a speed similar to what most enjoy now (5 megabits per second) for no monthly fee, but there would be a one-time $300 construction fee. Comcast now charges anywhere from $30 a month to more than $70 for such service. Ultra-fast Internet (1 gigabit per second) would cost $70 a month or $120 a month if it includes TV services.

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39 Comments

  1. Fiber is so unbelievably fast compared to what we’re currently dealing with.
    Entire movies in seconds with none of the download errors we have to deal with.
    This is Google pushing the entire industry to upgrade to fiber.
    Watch the current providers scramble to catch up.
    Its all good for the consumer. Big providers were fat and happy not having to upgrade their networks and making huge profits. Now that has changed. If you don’t use Google Fiber, thank Google for at least making the other companies upgrade to fiber.

  2. The more internet providers the merrier. I used to have fiber from AT&T but their stupid pricing policies (no, I do not want TV and phone services!!!) forced me to switch to cable from Comcast. I hope to switch back to fiber with Google soon.

  8. Have dealt with both Comcast & ATT each of who seems to be competing for the #1 spot in the nation for the ‘worst customer service’. The Internet monthly price that they offer is only the starting point; then come the ‘equipment leasing”, installation, fees, taxes etc, etc. (all of which were supposed to be included in the monthly Internet service price). Yeah! Right!!!

    Hopefully when Google begins the new service it will come up with ONE all inclusive price and cut out all this crap.

  9. Does the thought of having 1400 sq/ft “huts” placed somewhere in our neighborhood not concern anybody? I for one have not viewed Google’s plans to see just what these “huts” will look like, or where they will be placed. Is this information available on line? This sounds a lot like Pelosi”s Obama care crack “You have to vote for it in order to see what’s inside” If there is a plan map for MV on line, could someone please post the link.

    Thanks.

  16. Does anyone realize that Google has no clue what it wants or is doing?
    How many more ill conceived and incomplete projects are they going to force down Mountain Views throat.
    They are like a 12 year old who found an unlimited source of money and does not know what to do with it.But wants to do and have everything ‘right now’ often getting bored and losing interest quickly. Then it moves on to the next ill conceived and senseless project.
    They need to put some serious thought and planning into concepts and then obtain feedback and make adjustments instead of the whim of the day process they are using now.
    Examples:
    Blimp hangar, land development stalled at Moffett, busses???, bridge, congestion, housing, Google fiber, etc.etc.etc.
    If Google proposes or supports anything…look closely for… what’s in it for Google.
    With someone competent, intelligent and powerful in charge of a community relations committee these issues between Mountain View and Google could evolve to create a model for the future of the high tech industry.

  19. @Duke

    Google has always been a company that moves fast, experiment, and fails fast if things don’t work out. I won’t pretend do know exactly what they’re up to, but I’m pretty sure they didn’t get to a $400B company by just being lucky or not knowing what they’re doing.

  20. A friend of mine who is an AT&T customer in Austin said that AT&T immediately cut it prices significantly as soon as Google Fiber arrived. U.S. telcos and cable providers have defacto monopolies, and real competition such as this is much needed.

  21. So a deal was cut at a closed door (what sunshine law?) meeting to approve something google might do, that might give me the same bandwidth i had 10 years ago, but requires building ugly structures, presumably mostly on private property google doesn’t own, (is eminent domain part of this deal?) and costs me $300 “construction”? Not to mention all of the roadwork to construct the ditches to lay the fiber in, presuming google doesn’t simply cut a deal with whomever owns the line pools to string it all in the air.

    By the way, google *did* get lucky, which is how they got to be a huge company: they lucked into the ad brokering business, and nor do they ‘fail fast’. It has typically taken 5 or more years for them to finally recognize a beta has failed (or, in this case, the pole mounted wifi) and shut it down.

  22. Great news. Just an FYi, I definitely would not support a city council candidate that wants to block Google Fiber. Fast, reliable internet matters. Can’t wait to say goodbye to Concast forever.

  23. The contract should specify who pays to remove them at end of life. Similar to take-down provisions for Google WiFi on streetlights, and Ricochet take-down costs in the ancient past.

    Oh, and electricity. Will they require upgrades to PG&E substations?

  24. So who says the new system wold be Pure Fiber? It is already possible, if not likely, to achieve fiber-like performance over copper-wire connections for that “last-mile” connection to subscriber’s homes. Such an arrangement facilitates speedy system installation with minimal trenching by incorporating existing phone lines, and multiplexing assures video/Internet/telephone service without interference.
    I can declare this is true because I have AT&T service with this arrangement for nearly a year now at a comparable rate to Comcast or Direct. Installation was simple and direct with no complications. I am not a heavy TV user, so I cannot comment on the download times for movies or network specials and series, but what I do have certainly works for me.

  25. PhilC said: “It is already possible, if not likely, to achieve fiber-like performance over copper-wire connections for that “last-mile” connection to subscriber’s homes… I can declare this is true because I have AT&T service with this arrangement for nearly a year now…”

    Google Fiber can get up to 1,000 Mb/sec over it’s fiber service.
    Is it *really* possible to get 1,000 Mb/sec over the crappy copper wire that winds its way between the telephone exchange and my house? I don’t think so, but if anyone has it, please share your performance #’s.

    Holding breath now.. 🙂

  26. I’d like to put in a plug for my ISP, Sonic.net a locally-owned provider. They’re DSL and kind of slow, but…

    They are the NUMBER ONE RATED ISP for protecting customer privacy: http://www.northbaybusinessjournal.com/55258/sonic-net-gets-highest-marks-in-data-privacy-report/

    Unlike Comcast and AT&T, which save ALL your internet browsing records for *years,* Sonic.net only saves data for 2 weeks. Google, whose entire business model depends on farming every last bit of your personal data, is not getting into the broadband business for altruistic reasons. Using Google as your ISP will be the equivalent of surrendering every last shred of your privacy in exchange for faster browsing.

    Nothing to hide? http://www.salon.com/2014/09/28/you_dont_have_nothing_to_hide_how_privacy_breaches_are_quietly_controlling_you/

  27. OK so one person had AT&T Gigabit. The rest get 6mbps ..if that. Or 100+ with other carriers that serve almost everyone.

    Not being available to most of the area isn’t much help. A few test houses doesn’t help the rest of the city. Back in the day you could get T1 when everyone else was on

  28. Reading the comments of people much more familiar with and knowledgeable about high speed internet it sounds like this is again a halfhearted effort by Google that will only provide great “eyewash” prior to election time in an effort to pull the wool over the Mountain View residents eyes. Just prior to election time!! Surprise!!

    How about a true fiber optic, high speed, ground breaking system that feeds all the way into each home at a fair and reasonable cost. One that Google can merchandise in other areas for big bucks. That would make sense.

    1400 sq feet is about the average size of a whole house in this area. Where would they put those? And what will they look like??? Bunkers???

    Some serious well thought out planning could be put into this to make it a very valuable part of Google, and welcome to our community. But…????

  31. Marty: No one is forcing you to pay for Google Fiber. The $300 would be something residents choose to pay. It’s the one-time fee for basic 5 Mbps service. It’s guaranteed to last at least 7 years, so it comes to $3.58/month or less. It’s a really good deal if you just need basic Internet service.

    Duke: This *is* a true fiber optic, high-speed, ground-breaking system that feeds all the way into each home at a fair and reasonable cost. Many people would probably buy the $70/month gigabit Internet service. If you can find another company that will provide that service at that price in Mountain View, please let me know so I can sign up now.

    If Google Fiber comes to Mountain View (I hope it does!), the service will probably be similar to Kansas City’s. https://fiber.google.com/cities/kansascity/plans/

    Full disclosure: I work for Google. I have nothing to do with Google Fiber, though, except wanting it in my Mountain View home…

  32. It blows my mind that some MV residents argue against any sort of changes, even against things like better internet service. If you don’t like it, you don’t have to buy it, but don’t argue against a service that your neighbors may like.

  35. Thank you, Google! Competition is always good. In my neighborhood, Comcast has a monopoly because AT&T is pathetically slow and internet is becoming a necessity.

  36. Duke – you are a sad grumpy old man. Your two ravings on this forum lack any truth or sense.

    What on earth do you mean by – “again a halfhearted effort by Google that will only provide great “eyewash” prior to election time in an effort to pull the wool over the Mountain View residents eyes.”

    What a sad demented old man you are, spitting out such conspiracy theories. If all you have to offer this forum is sadness and hate, please keep it to yourself.

  38. if the city insisted and the money was found, huts could look like preexisting houses with the windows blacked out and the interiors ripped out, with a new utility trench to the street. Other cities have used similar desighs for utilities such as water pumping stations.

  39. Attn all the old farts complaining about the “eyesores”: do you equally protest the “eyesores” that are tall antique telephone poles and thick black wires drapping pole to pole? Or would you like to bring back the pony express?

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