Provo joined an exclusive list in 2013 when it agreed to install Google’s high-speed internet service across the city. Now, Google Fiber is eyeing several other U.S. cities, and Salt Lake is one of them.
"Today, Google Fiber will announce its interest in expanding into nine metro areas across the United States, and I am thrilled to announce that Salt Lake City is on that list," said Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker at a press conference on Feb. 19.
The eight other metro areas Google is looking at include Portland, Ore., Phoenix, Ariz., San Jose, Calif., San Antonio, Texas, Nashville, Tenn., Atlanta, Ga. and Charlotte and Raleigh N.C.
Michael Slinger, director of business operations for Google Fiber, said Google will work with Salt Lake over the next six to nine months to determine whether the city has the infrastructure in place to set up Fiber. He said this would make the installation process effective and efficient.
"We obviously want to avoid things such as digging up streets, and if there are municipal utility poles that we can attach Fiber to, to efficiently bring Fiber to the citizens of Salt Lake City, that's obviously better for all involved," Slinger said.
While Salt Lake enters talks for Fiber, Provo is in the process of installing the service.
Provo was one of the three original U.S. cities to be selected for Fiber along with Austin, Texas and Kansas City.
Fiber is beinginstalled by neighborhood in Provo. Residents of North Park, Downtown and West Provo can sign up for service right now while residents of Grandview, North Provo, Southeast Provo and Foothills can sign up later in the spring and summer.
Eric Jungblut is a senior majoring in broadcast journalism at Utah State University.