The Georgetown City Council voted to approve a nonexclusive public right-of-way license agreement with Google Fiber Texas, authorizing the company to install broadband infrastructure across the city.

City staff described the agreement as the permit Google needs to install fiber in public rights-of-way; John Michael Cortez, head of government and community affairs for Google Fiber in Texas, told the council the company intends to build a network that “pass[es] every resident and small business in this community.”

The license covers installation work in streets and rights-of-way. Eric (staff member) said the permit would allow Google to run main lines in the street and place a distribution box between houses; Google would only extend fiber onto private property to connect a home or business after a resident or business signs up for the service. “The service, should the resident or the business choose to go with Google, they would come out and they would connect in the box and trench along their private property up to the house,” Cortez said.

Council members asked about construction impacts. Eric (staff member) said the city’s microtrenching standard—newly adopted before this agreement—typically is “much faster, much cleaner, much less intrusive” than directional drilling and often keeps roads open during work. Cortez said deployment plans depend on permitting and coordination with the city’s capital-improvement program; he said Google expects to begin in the southeast portion of town and expand citywide, subject to “blockers” such as private streets or large public works.

Council member questions also covered whether private-property work required separate permits; staff said the single permit covers the public-rights-of-way work and the later on-premises connection when a customer signs up. No detailed build schedule was presented to council.

The council passed the motion to approve item 5AA; the vote was recorded as in favor with no oppositions announced at the time of the vote.

The license does not itself obligate residents to subscribe or require Google to complete buildout by a specific date. Council and staff said Google and city staff will coordinate permitting and work sequencing so construction aligns with the city’s capital-improvement projects to reduce disruption.