Portland Approves its First Google Fiber 'Hut' In another sign that Google Fiber's getting ready to formally announce Portland, Oregon as a launch market, the company has gained city approval for the company's first fiber "hut," the first of many 500-square-foot buildings that will each eventually serve 40,000 Google Fiber customers. Google Fiber has also been quietly signing utility pole access deals throughout the city with Portland General Electric and Pacific Power. Google Fiber's also working on striking a pole access deal with CenturyLink, which says it hopes to have a deal in place sometime in the "near future."

The fiber huts and utility pole deals come on the heels of several other multi-year efforts by Portland and Oregon lawmakers to make the city and state more attractive to the company. Portland in 2014 reconfigured a city ordinance that banned the placing of fiber cabinets in city rights of way. The state meanwhile, after a few misfires, crafted a law designed to provide Google Fiber with several tax breaks for deploying gigabit service. Comcast quickly swooped in to try and take advantage of the tax breaks, claiming its own 2 gigabit service should qualify. But the cable company's efforts were recently blocked by the Department of Revenue -- local lawmakers stating that the kind of expensive service Comcast offers wasn't what they had in mind when crafting the incentives. Despite being in negotiations since 2014, Portland's launch remains squarely in the planning phase, with the company still apparently planning out deployment routes for most of the fiber that will be laid. Google Fiber has yet to unveil a formal launch date or timeline for when it plans to bring gigabit service to Portland, only stating the company is "making progress" and plans to have some kind of formal announcement "soon." Despite being in negotiations since 2014, Portland's launch remains squarely in the planning phase, with the company still apparently planning out deployment routes for most of the fiber that will be laid. Google Fiber has yet to unveil a formal launch date or timeline for when it plans to bring gigabit service to Portland, only stating the company is "making progress" and plans to have some kind of formal announcement "soon."







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Rob

Premium Member

join:2001-08-25

Miami, FL -2 recommendations Rob Premium Member Google doing the job of the government... It should be the government rolling out fiber optics throughout the United States. Google is demonstrating that it can be done, and it will be done, and it's embarrassing the government and the telcos and cable co's everyday.

F100

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1 recommendation F100 Member Re: Google doing the job of the government... Why? The very framers of our government would disagree with you on what the role of Government should be in matters such as public infrastructure. Their intent was on regulation, not on Government owned everything like the very England they left. Government doesn't make money, it only redistributes it. And as much as we like the Internet, in the USA it's not the same as roads and water. We can decide that it is and some other countries have, but currently this is not so.



Google is forcing government to cut the red tape. And in reality, other companies are benefiting as well. Google has not sought exclusivity in the model they are using for leasing public space to provide service. AT&T, Comcast and anyone else can go this approach as well. It's just that these companies had no incentive to compete until now.



Now that Portland and Oregon, have fixed the tax problem holding Google up, we see the beginnings of expansion. It actually put them behind a year or more. But good to see progress nonetheless.

batterup

I Can Not Tell A Lie.

Premium Member

join:2003-02-06

Netcong, NJ batterup Premium Member Re: Google doing the job of the government... said by F100: Now that Portland and Oregon, have fixed the tax problem holding Google up, we see the beginnings of expansion. It actually put them behind a year or more. But good to see progress nonetheless. Verizon also wants the guber'ment to "fix" its tax problems. Google set the bar, yo go Google. sonicmerlin

join:2009-05-24

Cleveland, OH 1 recommendation sonicmerlin to F100

Member to F100

Uh... What about the entire US copper network? The interstate highway system?

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F100 Member Re: Google doing the job of the government... They Government did not build the US copper network. The telecommunications act of 1934 gave favorable treatment to AT&T and allowed them to charge fees to subsidize the cost of service. Basically creating a monopoly the the same Government later had to breakup. They did this by increasing prices on long distance. It was never a Government owned copper phone network.



Not the same as taking tax money and charging gasoline 18.4 cents per gallon and 24.4 cents per gallon for diesel fuel(today's rate) to build and maintain new roads that are owned by the government.

tshirt

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join:2004-07-11

Snohomish, WA tshirt to sonicmerlin

Premium Member to sonicmerlin

said by sonicmerlin: Uh... What about the entire US copper network? The interstate highway system?

ie the rates/taxes/tolls charged are inadequate to pay for the continuing operations, something a fiber network will also face without much higher funding then currently suggested.

Do we want to start yet another gov't endorsed monopoly? the new Ma Bell for the next century? Notice how those are 2 of the things wearing out/needing massive NEW investment in maintainace/repair/replacementie the rates/taxes/tolls charged are inadequate to pay for the continuing operations, something a fiber network will also face without much higher funding then currently suggested.Do we want to start yet another gov't endorsed monopoly? the new Ma Bell for the next century? tshirt tshirt to F100

Premium Member to F100

said by F100: Now that Portland and Oregon, have fixed the tax problem holding Google up,...

A} the revenue dept seems to think it should ONLY apply to Google (a previous story had Comcast's tax exemption request being denied)

B} those taxes and regulation served/funded some gov't purpose( or not) so what is the true cost to other taxpayers to make up the difference?

Will the general taxpayer end up paying to replace power poles in future years, because google is not, or pay for replacement properties next to the fire stations etc. because Googles discounted rental rates are less the market value?



Some other tax discounts in that area used to attract/keep business development (Intel, nike, Google and amazon data centers etc?) are now being questioned as to their true value and the return on that public/private investment is much lower then forecast and some companies pack up and offshore work, or shutter the facilities the tax breaks paid for.



of all companies that really don't need public subsidy to build facilities Google would be near the top of the list, yet they have had their hand out since day one for each of their projects from corporate campus's to GF and data centers around the world.

Remember once again the public contribution isn't buying/owning the fiber or network for public ownership, just subsidizing what should be GF's costs in building THEIR private network/ISP business. The biggest problems with that fix being...A} the revenue dept seems to think it should ONLY apply to Google (a previous story had Comcast's tax exemption request being denied)B} those taxes and regulation served/funded some gov't purpose( or not) so what is the true cost to other taxpayers to make up the difference?Will the general taxpayer end up paying to replace power poles in future years, because google is not, or pay for replacement properties next to the fire stations etc. because Googles discounted rental rates are less the market value?Some other tax discounts in that area used to attract/keep business development (Intel, nike, Google and amazon data centers etc?) are now being questioned as to their true value and the return on that public/private investment is much lower then forecast and some companies pack up and offshore work, or shutter the facilities the tax breaks paid for.of all companies that really don't need public subsidy to build facilities Google would be near the top of the list, yet they have had their hand out since day one for each of their projects from corporate campus's to GF and data centers around the world.Remember once again the public contribution isn't buying/owning the fiber or network for public ownership, just subsidizing what should be GF's costs in building THEIR private network/ISP business.

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F100 Member Re: Google doing the job of the government...

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Google is not getting tax breaks on pole access I believe. Just fair access. And the leasing of some land on Government owned property for the Fiber Huts. Attached is one of the City of Durham documents about the lease agreements with Google for the Fiber Huts. Yeah, I don't pretend to understand the "economics" of it all. There are government incentive packages given all the time to lure some Honda factory or pharmaceutical plant to a County or city. To the tune of Millions of dollars of Tax breaks.Google is not getting tax breaks on pole access I believe. Just fair access. And the leasing of some land on Government owned property for the Fiber Huts. Attached is one of the City of Durham documents about the lease agreements with Google for the Fiber Huts.

batterup

I Can Not Tell A Lie.

Premium Member

join:2003-02-06

Netcong, NJ 1 recommendation batterup Premium Member Re: Google doing the job of the government... said by F100: And the leasing of some land on Government owned property for the Fiber Huts.



What would the posters on this supposed forum say if VZ got to build a 1,600 square foot building in a city park and pay only $2 a square foot a year rent? Google's Kool-Aid is strong. existenz

join:2014-02-12 4 recommendations existenz to Rob

Member to Rob

I don't support fully govt/muni run ISPs but do support govt/muni funded last mile fiber framework to CO that isn't a managed network allowing multiple ISPs to operate on it. Perhaps contracted out to 3rd party fiber management company. Then allow any ISP to use the last mile from perhaps a shared CO and use their own end-to-end network equipment. So raw/dark fiber is muni funded but network is manged by ISP end to end. Only need to run fiber once to each household. This appears to be what Huntsville is doing with Google Fiber, or somewhat close to it. WhatNow

Premium Member

join:2009-05-06

Charlotte, NC WhatNow Premium Member Re: Google doing the job of the government... This would be the best plan and in time provide the most competition on the content and service end. This plan if done at the county level would provide service to everybody. The cost of overbuilding fiber networks are what keeps any new company except someone like Google out of the market. puck0114

join:2005-12-24

Portland, OR puck0114 Member Please, Google, Please! We desperately need competition in Portland. Right now I have no rational broadband option aside from Comcast (CenturyLink offers me 3 mbps). your comment..

