Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) is mulling a $300 million expansion of its data center operation in Council Bluffs, Iowa, fueling speculation that it is going to build a satellite antenna farm to support a TV service that would be carried over its Fiber to the Premises (FTTP) network.
The Iowa Economic Development Authority, which is offering Google tax incentives through the High Quality Jobs program, announced the Internet giant's proposed expansion on Friday. A new data center would bring about 35 new jobs to the area.
Of course, the question now is what will Google use the expansion for?
In February, Google filed a petition with the FCC to build a set of satellite antennas on land near the Council Bluff data center. However, the service provider has not specified if the expansion will address its satellite farm, which would be used to get broadcast content feeds that it would provide as part of a service bundle on its 1 Gbps FTTP network in Kansas City, Mo. and Kansas City, Kan.
The only thing that it would say in a state filing was that the expansion would involve "multi-building facilities."
For more:
- Data Center Knowledge has this article
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