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River Heights council hears update on possible Google Fiber expansion, schedules presentation
Summary
A council member reported a meeting with Google Fiber reps who proposed a citywide upgrade at no cost to the city; timeline discussed includes construction in early Q2 and service late Q2 2026. Councilors raised right-of-way, ditch routing and asphalt-impact concerns and asked for a follow-up presentation.
River Heights City Council heard a report Dec. 2 about a potential Google Fiber buildout that could expand fiberoptic service citywide. A council member who met with a Google Fiber representative said Google would pay for inspections, permits and installation and expects the project to be cost-neutral for the city.
The council member said Google’s preliminary pricing would offer a baseline gigabit service for about $70 per month and an 8-gig option for about $150 per month. Google indicated it aims to start construction in early second quarter 2026 and to turn on service in late second quarter 2026, subject to licensing and engineering reviews.
Councilors flagged technical and right-of-way issues for staff to explore before any agreement, including potential conflicts with the ProLog/Providence irrigation ditch routing, burial depth (approximately 48 inches discussed), slurry-based installation that can cause cables to shift during trenching, and cases where junction hardware placed too close to the curb has caused asphalt cracking. The council asked staff to invite Google’s engineering team to present details at a future meeting and to have city staff (including Public Works) review licensing agreements.
No contract or licensing agreement was approved at the Dec. 2 meeting; council members emphasized questions about placement of junction boxes, long-term maintenance responsibility and whether the city would permit vaults or junction hardware in specific rights of way.
