Google Fiber looks to sign contract with Lawrence to offer broadband in city
Google Fiber internet could be on its way to Lawrence.
City commissioners will vote Tuesday night on an ordinance that would grant Google Fiber the ability to extend its infrastructure into Lawrence to offer broadband in the city.
According to the ordinance, the city would enter into a franchise contract with Google Fiber, basically, a requirement needed for any utility company to start operating in Lawrence.
Google Fiber would pay the city 2% of all revenue on services paid by the residents or businesses, according to the ordinance. In addition, Google would pay the City of Lawrence $4.20 per quarter, per resident subscriber, with slightly higher rates for businesses that end up subscribing to Google Fiber. The money generated through this arrangement would go into the city’s general fund.
Back in 2011, Google Fiber first selected Kansas City, Kansas, as the first community to receive its high-speed internet service. Kansas City, Missouri, received the service a year later. Google Fiber offers “award-winning internet” speeds without annual contracts with its base 1 Gig plan — which has upload and download speeds of 1,000 Mbps — for $70 a month.