Google Fiber In Austin Hits a Snag: Incumbent AT&T

AcidPenguin9873 writes "Earlier this year, Google announced that it would build its next fiber network in Austin, TX. Construction is slated to start in 2014, but there's a hitch: AT&T owns 20% of the utility poles in Austin. The City of Austin is considering a rules change that would allow Google to pay AT&T to use its utility poles, but AT&T isn't happy about it. The debate appears to hinge on a technicality that specifies what types of companies can attach to the utility poles that AT&T owns. From the news story: 'Google 'would be happy to pay for access (to utility poles) at reasonable rates, just as we did in our initial buildout in Kansas City,' she said, referring to Google Fiber's pilot project in Kansas City...Tracy King, AT&T's vice president for public affairs, said in a written statement that Google "appears to be demanding concessions never provided any other entity before. ... Google has the right to attach to our poles, under federal law, as long as it qualifies as a telecom or cable provider, as they themselves acknowledge. We will work with Google when they become qualified, as we do with all such qualified providers," she said.'"

Google will have their way

[symbolset]

A torches and pitchforks parade at the AT&T offices and the homes of local executives might be required however.

Why is Google not a telecom?

[Sez Zero]

If they are, can't they use the poles under FCC reg? If not, why are they not considered a cable company or telco? Is it because they don't want to follow some regulation that would be required if they have that status?

How predictable......

[Dega704]

It's reasons like this that Google decided to blaze this trail in the first place. Stunts like this pulled by incumbents are often enough to kill smaller startups and projects, whereas it will likely only be a hindrance for Google.

Re:Update federal guidelines

[Guspaz]

Google Fibre is not an Internet-only service. It also includes television service, making it analogous to cable providers.

Re: Google will have their way

[pepty]

Did any read the summary? AT&T said google can use the poles, you just have to be a cable provider or telecom like everyone else that uses the poles. That seems fair to me. Come on Google go buy another company and run some wires!

Is VOIP + 911 service enough to get you qualified as a telecom provider? AT&T might regret asking Google to undercut them on phone service ...

Re:This isn't as it appears.

[Areyoukiddingme]

Google is not getting tax breaks for their current buildout. Kevin Lo, head of the Google Fiber rollout, specifically says that's not even a criteria. They are much more interested in gaining access to poles, getting accurate maps of where poles are, and in getting rapid approval of their construction permits.

AT&T, on the other hand, already got [pbs.org] over $200 billion in tax breaks [newnetworks.com] to deploy broadband, and didn't. So no, "all this regulation" did not make it more expensive to upgrade their infrastructure. It made it much much cheaper to upgrade their infrastructure, and instead of actually upgrading their infrastructure, as the law said they must, AT&T and their antecedents booked it as profit and paid their executives over a billion dollars in bonuses.

So yeah, let's level the playing field. Let's take $200 billion from AT&T and give it to Google.