Google Fiber launches high-speed internet here

Apr. 8—In its quest to see the entire city wired up with fiber optic cable for near speed-of-light internet access, Mesa has put its trust in private enterprise.

So far, service providers seem to be delivering.

Last week, Google Fiber became the first of the new wave of companies installing fiber optic cable in Mesa neighborhoods to officially go live.

The fact that the company is launching its first service in West Mesa, near University and Alma School, was encouraging for Vice Mayor Francisco Heredia.

He has been encouraging private development of fiber optic infrastructure, emphasizing the need for equity in internet availability to ensure that lower income or historic neighborhoods aren't left with slower access.

"We want fiber in every part of our city," Heredia said. "This starting point gives us some hope."

Mesa became the first city in Arizona to offer Google Fiber.

A spokeswoman for Google Fiber said the company started in Mesa first because it developed a good relationship with officials after the city issued a Request for Proposals for fiber optic installation last year.

Mesa set off a digital gold rush last summer after implementing a streamlined process for telecom companies to obtain licenses to install fiber in city rights-of-way.

Two legacy internet providers were already offering fiber service in limited areas of the city. Since the new licensing process, five additional companies have obtained licenses and gone to work installing fiber.

More providers are on the way, including AT&T, which expects to offer service later this year.

Google Fiber was coy about sharing how many households and where exactly the service is currently available. Residents can enter their address on the Google Fiber website to check availability and sign up to be notified when it becomes available on their block.

The service starts at $70 per month for 1 gigabit.

At an event celebrating the launch, the second person in Mesa to get linked up to Google Fiber stopped by for coffee.

John Miller a retired software engineer for Honeywell Aerospace, said he called Google Fiber for information in November when he saw workers on his street installing the fiber optic cable into micro-trenches, or cuts roughly two inches wide and 1 foot deep close to the curb.

Mesa requires this installation method for new fiber licensees to minimize neighborhood impact.

"We love the service," said Miller, who became a "trusted tester" to help Google Fiber test the new service.

He said previous internet service struggled to stream videos and keep up with all of his household devices like security cameras.

Now, when he needs to install Microsoft Windows on a computer, the download takes minutes on Google Fiber versus hours with his previous service.

It's only $5 more than his previous internet bill, he said.

Fiber is faster than other connections because it transmits data using light traveling through thin strands of pure glass. Other methods are still fast and fine for most needs, but fiber is the gold-standard for connectivity.

Ashley Church, Google Fiber's west general manager, said another advantage of fiber is "symmetrical" speeds, meaning users can upload data at the same speed as downloads.

Church said Google Fiber wants to put its lines in as much of Mesa as possible and plans a "rolling release" over the next four years.

She said people in communities with private roads who want the service should consider contacting their HOAs about opening access to roads for fiber.

Michelle Koyle, head of technical operations, said the installation has been going "awesome," with crews averaging about 2,000 feet per day.

They're usually in a neighborhood for no more than a week, and "we've been welcomed," she said.

When City Council was discussing its new licensing process, some members hoped that the new competition offered by the fiber service provider might bring down costs for DSL internet.

Miller said he's noticed that his old provider has come out with new plans that are cheaper.

"They don't have the monopoly they used to have," he said.