Fiber Optic Telecommunications Networks: As Google and AT&T Race for Fiber-Optic Dominance, Here’s Where They Might Go

James F. Booth

For more than 25 years, James Booth has provided consulting and legal services to telecommunications carriers and to enterprise companies that manage their own telecommunications networks. Since June of 2009 he has also served as General Counsel of Spread Networks, LLC, which is the industry leader in the construction and operation of low latency high speed networks. Before joining Spread he was General Counsel for OnFiber Communications, a competitive telecommunications provider, and was the sole attorney for Qwest Communications International in support of its construction of an 18,800 mile fiber optic network spanning the United States. Earlier he was lead counsel for U S WEST in its wireless and cable television ventures in the United States, Europe and Hong Kong.

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

As Google and AT&T Race for Fiber-Optic Dominance, Here’s Where They Might Go

Since 2012, Google has been testing high-speed fiber-optic Internet in places like Kansas City and Austin, Texas. And surprise, surprise: Here comes AT&T, with plans to bring high-speed fiber-optic Internet to places like Kansas City and Austin, Texas.

To be fair, AT&T announced it was coming to Austin a year ago, but today the telecom giant said it would attempt to expand its fiber Internet program to 21 new metropolitan areas, encompassing some 100 cities. Meanwhile, Google recently shared its own plans to expand Google Fiber to eight new cities and metropolitan areas over the next few years.

That puts both companies in a race to provide a new type of high-speed Internet to the country, and they’re starting in some of the same places. Fiber fight!

http://recode.net/2014/04/21/as-google-and-att-race-for-fiber-optic-dominance-heres-where-they-might-go/