Google Fiber’s plan to bring ultrahigh-speed Internet access to the San Francisco Bay area has been put on hold because of a legal battle over utility poles. Google was planning on using the utility poles to hang the fiber-optic wire, instead of the more costly method of burying the wires underground. Other high-speed providers are combating Google’s right to use the poles.
In Mountain View, CA, Google has been arguing before the California Public Utilities Commission against AT&T and other providers who believe Google should not be given access to the utility poles.
According to the San Jose Mercury News, Google has leased a small fiber-optic network in San Francisco to avoid using utility poles. In five other cities where Google has promised to bring its new gigabit-speed network – Palo Alto, Santa Clara, San Jose, Mountain View and Sunnyvale – expansion is practically on hold.
Part of Google’s problem stems from the Northern California Joint Pole Association’s decision to refuse membership to Google. Northern California Joint Pole Association owns many of the poles in the cities Google is working in, and allows other companies to use them. Several laws authorize telecommunications companies and cable-TV firms to use publicly and privately owned utility poles for a per-pole fee. The Mercury News says Google claims status as a cable TV company because it sells a TV-Internet Google Fiber package. The California Public Utilities Commission agrees, but other providers are trying to stall Google’s expansion with red tape.
Right now, Google is working closely with local utility companies on agreements it needs to build its Fiber networks in the region. If an agreement cannot be made with the pole association, the association and Google will remain at odds, and Google will have to find another means of expansion.
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