Google Fiber didn’t do as well as the company might have hoped in Louisville. There was some damage caused to the infrastructure in the city as the company set about laying the foundation for its internet service. Google is now making amends and has agreed to pay the Louisville Metro Government $3.84 million over the next 20 months to repair the damage caused to roads for the ill-fated Google Fiber service.
Authorities will use the money that Google provides to remove the infrastructure for the Fiber service from the city’s roads. The money will also be used to repave areas where needed after Fiber ceased operations in the city this week.
”Infrastructure in neighborhoods and public properties affected by Google Fiber will look as good or better than they did before the company began construction,” according to Louisville Metro’s Chief of Civic Innovation and Technology Grace Simrall.
The problems stemmed from Google’s decision to lay the cabling for Fiber just beneath the road’s surface. It was partly forced to do so as companies like AT&T actively attempted to prevent Google from sharing utility poles. This method of laying the cables meant that the cables would become exposed and were damaged over time.
It was eventually decided that the Google Fiber service would be discontinued in Louisville instead of rebuilding the entire network. Google Fiber continues to be available in other markets across the country, 16 cities to be precise, which include the likes of Austin and San Francisco.