Google's plan to bring inexpensive, high-speed fiber internet to Jacksonville may have hit a road block.
Last October, Mayor Lenny Curry and Google announced the possibility of high-speed internet and TV for Jacksonville via a fiber network infrastructure that would deliver speeds about 1,000 times faster than average internet speeds.
Those plans appear to be on hold.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Google Fiber believes its rollouts have proved more expensive and time consuming than anticipated.
“We all wish we could hit a button and -- boom -- have immediate speed," Craig Agranoff, a tech expert, said.
He said Google’s plan had issues from the beginning.
"This is a multibillion-dollar endeavor, so you have to physically tear up yards and lay down cable," Agranoff said.
In Jacksonville, that would include schools, parks, historical areas and flood zones.
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Google Fiber delivers 1,000 megabits per second compared to 12 megabits per second for the average broadband connection.
Google charges $70 per month whereas 2,000 megabits from Comcast cost approximately $300 per month.
The City of Jacksonville said Google Fiber is still in assessment mode.
Agranoff said fiber might be years away, but it will happen.
"The open market will eventually force Google’s competitors to up their game and have some kind of fiber network before Google takes it over from them,” he said. “Whether it is Google or other companies, it will be positive for the consumer."
Action News Jax contacted Google and got this statement from a spokesperson:
"We're continuing to work with city leaders to explore the possibility of bringing Google Fiber to Jacksonville. This means deploying the latest technologies in alignment with our product roadmap, while understanding local considerations, which takes time."
In the meantime, Google is asking cities and power companies to build the networks themselves, rather than having to come out and plant the lines.
So far, Google Fiber is available only in six metro areas across the U.S., with plans to bring the service to five more.
Cox Media Group
