This agreement allows the provider to construct its fiber-optic cable network in the city's limits in exchange for a 1% fee. With this approval, Round Rock joins the ranks of Austin and San Antonio as one of three cities in Texas included in the high-speed internet provider's service area.
“We enjoy being on the cutting edge of technology here in Round Rock, so we are excited that Google Fiber has chosen our community for its next expansion,” Round Rock Mayor Craig Morgan said in a release. “We look forward to our residents and businesses having even more options for internet service.”
The release also states construction would be expected to commence in late 2023. John-Michael Cortez, Google's government and community affairs manager, told Community Impact that it could take several years for a full build-out in a community the size of Round Rock.
"We build our network in segments," Cortez said. "As we complete segments, residents who live in those areas will have access to service once we're finished. So some Round Rock residents and small businesses will have access to service relatively quickly."
During the Oct. 27 meeting, Cortez said the network would likely begin operating in Round Rock's southern section first, as the network is extended from North Austin, and will coordinate with the city's street maintenance efforts.
As for the location of the potential expansion, Cortez pointed to the area's rapid growth and friendliness to business opportunities as well as the Google Fiber mission to bring access to all communities.
"We believe that everyone in every community, whether they're big, small, urban, suburban, rural, everywhere in between, deserves access to internet that's fast, reliable, fairly priced and open," Cortez said. "That's why we were founded. As far as Round Rock is concerned, it's long been a great place to do business, and a fantastic place to call home."
Regarding concerns of whether the service would expand to Round Rock addresses located outside of the city limits, such as in the city's extraterritorial jurisdiction or in a municipal utility district, Cortez said access will depend on which entity owns the roads, and that Google Fiber is in talks with Williamson County to offer its services.
Once in place, Round Rock residents would have access to download speeds of 1 gigabit for $70 per month or 2 gigabits for $100 per month with upload speeds of up to 1 gigabit.
"We don't throttle; we don't limit what you can do with your 1-gigabit upload and download speeds so that you can avail yourselves of everything the internet has to offer," Cortez said.
Residents who are interested in receiving notification of Google Fiber availability in their area can sign up at http://fiber.google.com with additional information available from the city of Round Rock here.
