Skip to main content

Gigabyte City back on track: Google ready to ‘lay fiber’ in KCK

Google announced last spring that Kansas City, K.S., landed the search engine’s super-speed Internet project, but disputed details within the original agreement created a troublesome 10-month delay. However, it now seems KCK is finally fiber-ready.

Google claimed it would begin KCK customer signups for the service in the fourth quarter of 2011, and the company planned to power-up the fiber optic network in the first quarter of 2012. For a while, it seemed those plans would not come to fruition, but Google announced in an official blog post today that it is ready to lay fiber now.

“We’ve measured utility poles; we’ve studied maps and surveyed neighborhoods; we’ve come up with a comprehensive set of detailed engineering plans; and we’ve eaten way too much barbecue. Now, starting today, we’re ready to lay fiber,” wrote Google Access General Manager Kevin Lo.

The Mountain View, Calif.-based Company said it plans to stretch thousands of miles of cables across Kansas City, K.S., and Kansas City, M.O…

“Each cable contains many thin glass fibers, each about the width of a human hair. We’ll be taking these cables and weaving them into a fiber backbone—a completely new high speed infrastructure that will ultimately be carrying Kansas Citians’ data at speeds more than 100 times faster than what most Americans have today,” Lo continued.

“At first, we’ll focus on building this solid fiber backbone. Then, as soon as we have an infrastructure that is up and running, we’ll be able to connect Google Fiber into homes across Kansas City!”

The local community successfully vied against 1,100 other United States localities courting Google and its ambitious Internet plans. KCK subsequently became the first “Gigabyte City” or “Fiber Town.”

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqwjjfKRgb0&feature=player_embedded]

Google noted the primary reason it came to KCK centered upon local officials’ ability to move quickly and make the project work. However, almost a year’s time has now passed. The apparent dawdle stems from how, and where, Google can hang its data-flowing glass wire.

Recent media coverage of the extended delay most likely reawakened Google and prompted the company to resolve any underlying kinks in the deal. The search engine is now focused on building a solid fiber backbone and getting the project back on schedule.

Lo contended: “As soon as we have an infrastructure that is up and running, we’ll be able to connect Google Fiber into homes across Kansas City!”

Google has not named the neighborhoods that will receive connection first.

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

You’re reading 9to5Google — experts who break news about Google and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Google on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel