Last year, a Microsoft study found 162 million Americans lack broadband internet. That's nearly half the US population. Montgomery Advertiser
West Des Moines plans to invest nearly $40 million in a partnership with Google Fiber to bring to the city the ultra-fast network that is available in only 18 other U.S. cities, officials announced Thursday.
An agreement the West Des Moines City Council is expected to approve Monday names Google Fiber as the city’s first licensee for the network. Other providers are expected to be licensed later, creating what city officials envision as universal high-speed internet access with competitive prices.
After launching in the Kansas City metro in 2012, Google Fiber has expanded to tech hubs including Austin, Texas; Atlanta; Portland, Oregon; and Seattle. Now, it's coming to West Des Moines, which has attracted other tech giants, including Microsoft, in recent years.
The project marks Google Fiber's Iowa debut. The provider's speeds of one gigabit per second are about 100 times faster than the average broadband connection in the U.S., and fiber optic internet rarely experiences outages that can be common with cable connections.
The city plans to solicit bids for laying the underground conduit that would house the fiber optic cables, and begin installations in public rights-of-way later this year, Deputy City Manager Jamie Letzring told the Des Moines Register.
She pointed to three basic objectives of the collaboration: “We would want to make sure there was a lot of consideration given for digital equity — it needed to go to every single home. … We would need an approach that would create sort of an open system that would allow for as much competition as possible. ... And finally, a system that would be financially sustainable that had some financial backing to it.”
On a monthly basis, Google Fiber would pay the city $2.25 for each household that connects to the network. The company would install connective equipment at those addresses, said project consultant David Lyons, who formerly led the Iowa Insurance Division and Iowa Department of Economic Development.
Over the 20-year agreement, Google Fiber would pay a minimum of $4.5 million to the city, he said. Other licensed providers could pay a fee to install their fiber in the city's conduit once the system is completed.
Households would be able to purchase fiber optic internet from Google Fiber or any other provider that offers it, and some households may choose to take advantage of the free connection for future use but remain with their current internet service, Lyons explained.
Cities across Iowa are increasingly focused on providing ubiquitous broadband to residents, with some municipalities, like Cedar Falls, owning their networks and treating the internet as a utility. The public-private partnership in West Des Moines is an uncommon model but allows each party to play to their own strengths — with cities handling infrastructure and technology companies providing services, Lyons said.
"We believe that municipal collaborations, like the one proposed in West Des Moines, and our current project in Huntsville, Alabama, provide incredible opportunities to deliver super fast gigabit internet to many more people," a Google Fiber spokesperson said in an email to the Register.
The city expects to pay somewhere between $35 million and $42 million to install the conduit, which consists mostly of PVC piping, according to Lyons. The final cost will depend on how much of the existing fiber-optic infrastructure can be incorporated, he said.
The city expects to issue taxable general obligation bonds to pay for the project, Letzring said. The work would be split into seven parts, with the final section of installations expected to be finished in 2½ years, she said.
Google Fiber gigabit internet would be provided at $70 a month, a spokesperson said.
Lyons said the fiber optic system can withstand flooding and storms, although frost can potentially pose issues. Once a portion is installed, Google Fiber workers test the connection’s reliability before the project is complete, he said.
West Des Moines detailed its goal of having equal access to quality broadband in its 2036 strategic plan. This partnership with Google Fiber, Letzring said, fast-tracks the timeline to make that possible.
In a news release, Mayor Steven Gaer praised the effort, calling high-speed internet access "critical."
"It’s amazing that in just four years, West Des Moines is well on its way to achieving the WDM 2036 Plan goal of finding an innovative way to provide access to broadband for all our residents and businesses," the mayor said.
State and local government leaders who spoke at a virtual announcement of the project Thursday noted how vital a reliable internet connection has been during the coronavirus pandemic.
Gaer read a statement from Gov. Kim Reynolds, who applauded the city’s “forward-looking leadership” and said that equal access to broadband is more important than ever.
“If we ever needed a reason to focus on connectivity and internet access, COVID-19 gave it to us,” said Reynolds' statement. “Like Iowans do, we turn obstacles into opportunities.”
West Des Moines Community School District Superintendent Lisa Remy said the initiative would “open doors” for students who would spend more time learning at home as education officials seek safe reopening strategies.
“It will help us as we continue to expand online learning opportunities for all our students,” she said.
To sign up for updates on the project, go to google.com/fiber/wdm.
Shelby Fleig covers Des Moines' western suburbs for the Register. Reach her at shelbyfleig@dmreg.com or 515-214-8933.
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