[new2]

Can someone explain what it takes for Google Fiber to come to a city ?

Do they buy an existing fiber company in the city ? Do they buy dark fiber ? Do they lay new fiber ?

I'm trying to understand how the process works.

Side note : Is anyone laying new fiber anymore ? I was reading this ( http://arstechnica.com/business/2015/01/verizon-nears-the-en... )

[platinum1]

The actual new/old fiber itself isn't really what makes it possible to get Google Fiber, it's more about having a regulatory framework that allows Fiber to be cost effective.

From: http://www.broadbandforamerica.com/blog/regulatory-concessio...

"Municipalities across the U.S., nearly 1,100 of them, competed vigorously to be chosen as the site for the project, but too few had a regulatory environment conducive to the investment that was required."

I believe Salt Lake City sold their unused fiber infrastructure to Google for $1, which I'm sure helped (in return Google ).

[freehunter]

The answer is all of those things. Google has bought existing fiber (such as in Utah)[1] and laid new fiber such as in Kansas City [2].

[1] http://www.fiercetelecom.com/story/google-closes-deal-acquir...

[2] http://www.technologybloggers.org/technology/google-fiber-st...

[nostrademons]

They use existing Google fiber links for the backbone, but they need to lay new fiber for the last mile. Getting the right-of-ways to do this accounts for virtually all of the delay in expanding to a new city; oftentimes the utility poles are owned by competitors, and trying to lay anything underground or put up new poles requires a maze of permitting from city & county governments and utility commissions.