Fiber Competition and Timing (Raleigh, Morrisville: sales, 2015, lease)

[OlderHome]

Both AT&T (Gigapower) and Google (Google Fiber) are creating fiber networks for the Triangle area and both should be a significant improvement over existing providers (Vantage is also adding fiber I believe).

We are looking to adding a new tv receiver to our U-Verse account. Disregarding the requirement that they will require a technician to come out to our house for a large fee to plug a patch cable into our ethernet network to connect a wired receiver, the AT&T person I spoke to said that he could lower our not insignificant TV/internet/phone bill will more channels and higher interest speeds "because we have been such a good customer" (Certainly we have paid them a lot). The only catch is that it is a one year contract.

We live in the Cameron Village area in Raleigh. My concern is that Google will offer fiber service in say 3-6 months and as I understand it, you have to choose Google Fiber when they offer it or you will have to wait until they go around to a second pass for your neighborhood, potentially some years later. If we have a one year U-Verse commitment, we may be paying for two services for 6 months or so.

The U-Verse sales person assured me that Gigapower will beat Google Fiber to offering service in our neighborhood. He indicated that AT&T is very protective of it market share and that seems to be indicated by its roll out of Gigapower as Google Fiber was announced. He asserted that AT&T "owns" all the fiber here in NC and thus Google Fiber would come in second as they will have to lease it from them.

Question 1: I presume that he is blowing smoke about AT&T owning all the fiber and Google Fiber will have to lease it from them, correct?

Question 2: Assuming his fiber ownership assertion is false, who do you expect to offer fiber first in my neighborhood near NC State, Gigafiber or Google?

And Question 3 (the most important one): How many months/years will it be when either Gigapower or Google Fiber will be available to us near NC State? The U-Verse person, of course, could not give me any sense of timing for when Gigapower would be available. Google Fiber only seems to be up in a small area in Morrisville.

Thanks for tolerating my long post.

- Phil

[Gard]

1. Google is laying their own fiber
2. No idea
3. Google said it would be at least a year before they go live in Raleigh

[OlderHome]

Originally Posted by Gard

. . .
3. Google said it would be at least a year before they go live in Raleigh

Where did you hear/get that? I have not heard any time tables for deployment.

- Phil

[Gard]

Originally Posted by OlderHome

Where did you hear/get that? I have not heard any time tables for deployment.

- Phil

http://www.bizjournals.com/triangle/...n-raleigh.html

[Sherifftruman]

That's one guy who works for the city of Raleigh, not google, giving an opinion about it. He also said they had not started in Raleigh at that time and in fact, they had been working a couple months and had at least one Fiber Hunton the ground then, so, not sure how accurate anything he said truly is. Only Google knows for sure.

That being said, if they have not even run conduit in a particular neighborhood yet, you're safe signing a one year contract, IMO. Worst case is a a little bit of overlap, but based on my experience getting it installed, it will take about a year unless they speed the process.

If they have already made the main runs on your streets it could be less time.
Though now that I think about it, this is based on underground installs. If they run it on poles in your area, then the timing might be different. Honestly, with other utilities it doesn't see, like it would be shorter.

[ncdust]

In an area the size and population density diversity as Wake county, how many residences that currently have Time Warner cable availability / infrastructure will have fiber availability, say in the next ten years?

I'll admit I'm skeptical, and am thinking of a pretty low percentage, but I don't have any hard numbers.

[tricoder]

I wouldn't go near AT&T personally. Any service with a data cap is a waste of money, especially when it comes to fiber. Why pay more for ultra fast speeds if you can't use it?

I *hate* TWC but will stick with them until Google installs my fiber service so I can avoid a data cap.

[Sherifftruman]

I hate ATT as much as the next guy, but they've actually eliminated caps on their Fiber service and the whole spying on you thing as well. Yay competition!

[OlderHome]

So no updated time frame from Google other than the 2 year time frame from a Raleigh official one year ago?

I thought they were running some cable on the utility poles in the neighborhood a few months ago and there are markings on the street that supposedly are preparatory to laying underground lines.

But probably 9 months or more, you would expect?

- Phil

[Chaosjester87]

Ask them what the ETF is if you cancel your contract. For Gigabit internet only from AT&T the fee is $180 prorated over the life of the contract so if Google came in 6 months it would only be $90.