Could Google finally bring its acclaimed super-speed internet service to its hometown? After years of discussion, the company will present plans to the City Council on Tuesday, May 3, for how its Google Fiber service could be installed throughout Mountain View.

The subscription service, which promises 1-gigabyte-per-second bandwidth, is currently available in just five U.S. cities, but dozens of communities have lobbied the company for the service. Among the publicity stunts to draw Google's attention, the mayor of Duluth, Minn. jumped into a freezing lake and Topeka renamed itself "Google, Kansas."

Naturally, Mountain View has a longer history than most cities when it comes to attracting Google Fiber to town. Starting in 2010, city leaders began urging residents to write the company to show local interest. But four years later, when the company came back with details, city officials began to wonder just what they were signing up for. As part of Fiber service, the company said it would need expedited review and clearance to submit plans for citywide work. City officials pointed out the company was avoiding giving specific information that would be expected of any other applicant.

The company had a "take-it or leave-it" approach, then-Councilman Jac Siegel said at the time. Nevertheless, the council voted unanimously to move the project forward.

On Tuesday, council members will consider granting Google encroachment permits to install about 178 miles of new fiber-optic cables throughout town. About 45 percent of those cables would go underground while the remainder would be mounted along the existing utility poles. In addition, the company would need to install 4,200 underground utility "vaults." City staff noted they had been working with the company on the encroachment permits since last summer.