Tempe council votes to support Google Fiber

The Tempe City Council has taken the first steps to bring lightning fast internet to the city.

The city council approved an important measure in the process, and soon the city could be striking a deal with Google.

The city council voted unanimously on the agreement which gives Google permission to lay down thousands of miles of fiber in the city.

It doesn't guarantee that Google Fiber will come to the valley, but it does bring Tempe one step closer to a new fiber optic network.

Austin, Provo, and Kansas City already have Google Fiber, now Tempe is the latest city to approve plans to pave the way for Google Fiber in the town.

It was a 7-0 vote approving the measure that could bring internet speeds of up to 1Gbps.

"Once you experience, you know just how fast it is, but it's really exciting for folks," said Angie Welling with Google.

Cable providers like Cox are not happy about the move; the company says it already provides Gigabit internet service. The company issued a statement that says: "It's unfortunate that the Tempe City Council is willing to favor a new entrant into the market, and in doing so appears to have violated federal and state law. The waivers granted by the City also give Google Fiber a free pass on obligations that affect public safety; such as emergency alert messaging and protection of subscriber privacy."

"It's an amenity that we will be able to provide for our residents, and I think that is really exciting for our community," said Tempe Mayor Mark W. Mitchell.

It is unclear how much the service would cost if it were to come to the valley. In other markets, Google Fiber has a basic product that is free. For the Gigabit service, it cost $70, for Internet and TV it costs $130.