fbpx

|

Google Fiber agreement offers few hints about location, timing of public service in Prairie Village

Share this story:

The Google Fiber building in midtown.
The Google Fiber building in midtown.
There was plenty of excitement Friday at the news Google Fiber is set to formalize an agreement tonight to bring its high speed Internet and cable service to Prairie Village. But details about the agreement laid out in the copy of that the council will vote on tonight provide precious few answers to the questions that many Prairie Village residents are likely asking themselves. Namely: “Will I be able to get it in my neighborhood?” and “When will it be available?”

The letter of the agreement is notable silent on those issues — and provides only minor insight into plans for free WiFi and high speed Internet services to be made available at at least one public facility:

1. Google’s “Obligations”
a. Google will use “commercially reasonable efforts” to provide to such public facilities as City and Google agree, without charge for such services: (i) up to 1 Gigabit capable broadband Internet services through the Fiber Network (“City Broadband Services”), and (ii) public WiFi access through the WiFi Network (“City WiFi Services”). Google would not agree in advance to any minimum # of public facilities, so could be a single facility. Google retains the right, in its sole discretion, to deliver the free services to a particular public site or alternative public site.
b. Timing of City Broadband Services: “As soon as reasonably practicable” following the date Google completes deployment of Fiber Network services in the “Fiberhood” where the agreed public site is located.
c. Timing of City WiFi Service: None.
d. Term of free City Services: 10 years from date of NSA [Google would not agree to 10 years from date of deployment]. After term expires, any continuing services to public facilities at then commercial rates.

2. City’s “Obligations”

a. Expeditiously review applications and permits and conduct required inspections.
b. Provide access to public right of way and to City owned conduit and structures pursuant to a separate Structure Attachment Agreement, discussed below.
c. Make available to Google certain public map and address data.
d. Observe Google confidentiality and intellectual property rights, subject to Kansas Open Records Act and Kansas Open Meetings Act.

About the author

Jay Senter
Jay Senter

Jay Senter is the founder and publisher of the Post.

He earned his bachelor’s degree in business at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, where he worked as a reporter and editor at The Badger Herald.

He went on to receive a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Kansas, where he earned the Calder Pickett Award. While he was in graduate school, he also worked as a reporter for the Lawrence Journal-World.

LATEST HEADLINES