If you’re eagerly anticipating Google Fiber’s move into our city, you’re probably anxious for more information. Currently, best estimates for the first neighborhoods to go live are around mid-2017, though Google won’t confirm that. A lot of residents in south and southeast Durham are noticing a decided uptick in construction activity, but there’s still a lot of guessing going on. “The companies providing gigabit services do not tell us when or where they will be offering service,” says Deputy City Manager Bo Ferguson, “but we know and monitor the building of their infrastructure.”
Since Google is not obligated to inform the city how it plans to build out the network, nor which neighborhoods will be able to tap into the service, predicting Google Fiber’s plans is an inexact science. But one thing is certain: The roll-out throughout the Triangle, already well underway, will take years.
Building a fiber optic infrastructure from scratch is a massive project from a logistical and technical vantage, which is why Google, with its valuation well north of $500 billion, is one of the few, if not only, companies able to even contemplate such an undertaking.
But laying hundreds of miles of bright orange fiber optic cable comes with an inevitable inconvenience cost to residents. Scores of residents have complained so far about subcontractors digging without notice, damaging property, blocking roads without notice, working outside the permitted times and the like. “Periodically we’ve had to shut down construction crews hired by both AT&T and Google Fiber because they have not always performed to our standards,” Bo says.
If you have questions regarding the construction process, Google has provided a support page specific to the Triangle: fiber.google.com/cities/triangle/support. We also found that its team often provides a response via their email contact form (support.google.com/fiber).
The Need for Speed
Naturally, the first question is: Is the gigabit service as revolutionary as the hype would have it seem?
The IT consensus is that a gigabit (a gigabit is 1,000 megabits-per-second – Mbps – upload and download speeds, or about 100 times faster than a typical broadband connection) defines a new speed standard for home Internet usage. Practically speaking it means no more buffering videos – HD movies can download in 40 seconds – and with more Internet activity based in the far-off cloud, speed is of the essence. HD video conferencing, too, will likely become more accessible and widespread as users adapt to the service’s faster speeds and ability to handle volume. “This will offer much faster downloads, no pause, and so on,” Bo says, “I suspect that this tool is going to allow people to do and create things and businesses that we haven’t imagined yet.”
Competitive Edges
Typically, along with Google Fiber comes real competition. Aside from bringing its own potential for better customer experiences, Google Fiber will likely encourage the city’s current providers to be competitive with their broadband services. According to DSL Reports, ISPs where Google Fiber competes usually offer higher speeds at lower prices. For example, a provider that offers its fastest service for $110 may offer the same service for $70 when Google Fiber enters the market. When Google announced Fiber was coming to Charlotte, Time Warner Cable increased its Internet speeds across the board, by up to six times faster than before, without raising prices.
And Google isn’t alone in offering significantly better – read, much, much faster – Internet service, though it gets most of the attention because, well, it’s Google. Nevertheless, private utility companies such as AT&T, Frontier and Time Warner Cable are constructing new and upgrading existing communications infrastructure. In fact, AT&T and Frontier may well beat Google to the market with faster Internet service. In addition to Durham, the various providers will offer their gigabit service to Carrboro, Chapel Hill, Morrisville, Cary, Raleigh and Garner.
Lower Costs
Google Fiber pricing for the Triangle has been announced as follows:
- Fiber 1000 $70/month for up to 1 gig (1,000 Mbps) download and upload speed
- Fiber 1000 plus TV $140/month
- Fiber Phone $10/month + taxes and fees (when added to a residential plan)
Included in the packages are a range of TV channels, no data caps and free installation. A slower Fiber 100 plan offering up to 100 Mbps upload and download speeds is available for $50 per month. Small businesses have plans ranging up to $250 per month. If you’re planning to switch to Google Fiber from your current provider, you should also factor in any service cancellation fees. This may not be an issue with every plan or provider, but it’s worth double checking.
Hopefully this breakdown has you caught up to speed on what we know so far about Google Fiber’s arrival in Durham. Though the final roll-out to all for most of Durham’s residents will take years, you can sign up for email notifications to receive service updates on the support page mentioned above.
What the City Advises
The City of Durham has provided the following expectations and guidelines for residents:
Informational door hangers will be distributed in advance of construction in your neighborhood. Most of the utility companies use subcontractors to perform this work. Subcontractor vehicles/equipment are generally not marked with the contracting company’s name. Google-authorized subcontractor vehicles should have a “Bechtel” or “S&N” logo on each vehicle.
Markings
Blue, purple, green, orange, yellow, white and/or pink paint markings will be sprayed on the ground several weeks before construction. The paint tells contractors where existing underground utility lines are so that they can be avoided when digging.
Rights-of-Way
A public right-of-way area is designated between most streets and the adjacent private property. This is where service providers are allowed by law to place their fiber along with water/sewer/electrical lines. Typically, the rights-of-way include the area from the curb towards your home for about eight feet (or about three feet of grass or five-foot-wide sidewalk).
Contractors should receive permission from property owners before working on private property (ex: homeowner’s association, townhomes and condos).
Time of Day
Work typically occurs weekdays 7 a.m. – 7 p.m.; however, sometimes permission is given to expand this schedule on a case-by-case basis. While construction noise can be as loud as necessary during these permitted times, you should not be bothered by noise in your home or business outside of these times.
Post-Construction
In most cases and weather permitting, private property should be restored to original condition within 3-5 business days once construction is complete. Companies are not required by law to coordinate their activities, which means that even after one company is finished and the property is restored, other companies can come through the same area and start the process over.
If You Have Construction Concerns or Need to Report Damages
For questions or concerns about construction in your area, call the number on the vehicle, door hanger or the below numbers for assistance. Call 911 immediately if you believe there is a danger threatening life or health.
- AT&T / ANSCO: Call 877-845-6660 or email Rd5264@att.com
- Google Support/Construction Line: Call 877-454-6959
- Time Warner: Call 919-595-4892
Last Call
If you’re not sure which company is responsible for the work or if you’re not satisfied with the company’s response, please call Durham One Call at 919-560-1200 weekdays 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. or Todd Ireland with Kimley-Horn and Associates (City of Durham Consultant for Private Utility Project Mgmt. & Inspections Services for Gigabit Fiber Installation) at 919-677-2042.
