Google Fiber sets its sights on Arizona – again

Google Fiber’s West Region General Manager Ashley Church said the company is looking to launch its service in Mesa (AZ) a city located within the Phoenix metro area. Its plan is dependent on the city council’s approval of a license agreement which will allow Google Fiber to access municipal rights of way along public highways to build its infrastructure. The proposal calls for an initial five-year license term with a renewal option. If the deal is approved at the Council’s upcoming July 11 meeting, Church said Google Fiber will “kick off the engineering and operations effort right away and begin construction in Mesa early next year.” The council will also vote on a five-year license agreement for open access fiber infrastructure provider SiFi Networks at the same meeting. Rather than paying a license fee like Google Fiber, SiFi Network’s proposed contract states it would provide certain “in-kind” services to the city, including access to up to 670 demand points across the network and discounted broadband to as many as 33,000 income-eligible households.