Internet that is!
Google Fiber opened its only Iowa office in West Des Moines late last month. This move provides one or two gigabit fiber-optic internet to the city – which offers internet speeds 100x faster than the average broadband connection!
Only 17 metro areas in the country have access to this type of fiber-optic internet – and West Des Moines is the only place in Iowa to have this internet opportunity.
Residents were able to connect to the Google Fiber at the end of March. The West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce President, Katherine Harrington, said that the city hopes to set West Des Moines apart by providing the fast internet speed to its residents. Harrington indicated: “We are here to be game changers.” Harrington further noted that the project is yet another step toward West Des Moines’ “2036 plan” to distinguish the city.
Mayor Russ Trimble agreed with Harrington when he stated he was “extremely proud and happy to be delivering [high-speed reliable internet] to the residents and businesses of West Des Moines.”
West Des Moines is half-way done with the conduit network construction. Google Fiber hopes to complete that construction by the end of next year. To help offset the cost to taxpayers, six other broadband providers can pay to run their fiber through the network.
By early 2024, the West Des Moines homes that desire this super-fast internet service can be connected to Google Fiber. Andy Simpson, Google Fiber’s central region general manager, noted that “the stability, the pricing, and the quality of Google Fiber internet are key.” Google Fiber is striving to make West Des Moines residents happy with their internet connectivity and speed stating: “We want to be that seamless connectivity in the background.”
While exciting for West Des Moines, the project was not without controversy. In 2020, after West Des Moines invested approximately $40 million in a partnership with Google Fiber, Mediacom sued the city. In January 2022, the city settled the lawsuit with Mediacom providing a financial payout and granting access to parts of the fiber-optic network. The settlement allowed the project to move forward and now West Des Moines residents and businesses are looking forward to the super-fast internet connectivity.
West Des Moines commercial real estate is poised to be fast-moving thanks to super-fast internet provided by Google Fiber! I’d love to talk to you about buying and selling in and around Des Moines. Feel free to contact me about your commercial real estate needs.
Portions of my blog reference the Des Moines Register’s article written by Sarah Kay LeBlanc: “West Des Moines gets Iowa’s only Google Fiber office, giving access to 1 or 2 gigabit fiber-optic internet.” Link here: https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/local/west-des-moines/2022/03/24/google-fiber-internet-west-des-moines-iowa-valley-junction-speed/7154926001/