Beth Duckett

The Republic | azcentral.com

Google is considering Scottsdale, Phoenix and Tempe for its ultra-high-speed network

Scottsdale has identified 19 locations where Google could build huts to house equipment

Google would pay a yearly license fee to the cities of $3,850 per site

Scottsdale has identified 19 locations where Google could construct buildings to house equipment for its ultra-high-speed network, should the city land Google Fiber.

Scottsdale, Phoenix and Tempe are among 34 cities nationwide in nine metro areas that the tech company is considering for its Google Fiber network. The service provides high-definition TV channels and Internet connectivity up to 100 times as fast as basic broadband. The company says it hopes to have updates on which cities could get Google Fiber by the end of this year.

Scottsdale and the other cities have taken the first steps to bring the next-generation network to the Valley.

On April 29, the Scottsdale City Council approved a resolution for a contract, which would allow Google to build electronic-communications buildings, also known as fiber huts, on city-owned land. The concrete buildings would house equipment for Internet and TV services.

Scottsdale narrowed it to 19 possible locations and city staff anticipate there would be up to eight huts citywide.

The locations include nine parks, seven water sites, two community centers and one campus, according to the report.

A single hut could serve up to 20,000 households.

The Phoenix and Tempe city councils also approved agreements with Google related to fiber huts, said Brad Hartig, Scottsdale's chief information officer. A Scottsdale report estimates that Google would pay a yearly license fee to the cities of $3,850 per site.

On May 16, Google announced that Scottsdale met the criteria for initial infrastructure studies. Google and Scottsdale officials had their first high-level meeting May 21 related to a video-license agreement Google would be required to have with the city, Hartig said.

Possible fiber huts locations in Scottsdale:

21851 N. Miller Road; 31203 N. 56th St.; 3475 N. Scottsdale Road; 8755 E. Ashler Hills Drive; 8801 E. Los Gatos Drive; southwestern corner of 108th Street and Bell Road; 12171 E. Shea Boulevard; 6535 E. Osborn Road; 1700 N. Granite Reef Road; 8600 E. Thomas Road; 4289 N. Hayden Road; 5401 N. Hayden Road; 8732 E. McDonald Drive; 10400 E. Via Linda ; 13636 N. 100th St.; 9170 E. Thunderbird Road; 20199 N. 78th Place; 8950 E. Pinnacle Peak Road; 7601 E. McKellips Road.