Opinion

Fiber finally arrives, but digital divide still looms

Mayor Ivy Taylor announces the Google Fiber launch during a press conference held Aug. 5, 2015 at Geekdom. It has now arrived, though the city and company are mum on the next area served. Mayor Ivy Taylor announces the Google Fiber launch during a press conference held Aug. 5, 2015 at Geekdom. It has now arrived, though the city and company are mum on the next area served. Photo: / Photo: / Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Fiber finally arrives, but digital divide still looms 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

Google Fiber is finally rolling out in San Antonio.

The first area eligible for service is on the West Side near Westover Hills and West End Park. Potential customers can sign up for service until Dec. 21. Then Google Fiber will move to another part of town to set up service. Where is anybody’s guess.

That’s our sole complaint on this bit of news. Google Fiber could be more open about service maps and rollout plans.

But communication issues aside, this has been a long time coming. The addition of Google Fiber will benefit San Antonio residents in a number of ways, even those who stick with other service providers. It means more competition and hopefully faster Internet at lower prices.

Google Fiber is offering service up to 1,000 megabytes per second at $55 a month. Other providers also offer that speed, but not necessarily at that price point.

The internet has become a necessary service, much like water, gas and electricity. Every home needs to be connected, but data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2015 American Community Survey estimated more than 100,000 homes in San Antonio lacked internet access.

Frequent roadblocks to internet service in the home include price, a lack of a computer (other than a phone) and the daunting nature of technology. This leads to an inability to apply for jobs online and prevents students from doing their homework.

Getting these homes connected is something of an invisible policy challenge for local officials. But another internet service provider in the market definitely will help the cause. It’s not enough on its own, but it is a positive step for our economic and educational development. And it’s good for consumers.

Google Fiber is finally here, and that is welcome news. But more is needed from service providers and policymakers to bridge San Antonio’s digital divide.