Google Fiber plans to begin the sign-up process for its 1 Gbps broadband service in more Nashville neighborhoods, giving residential customers a third option to incumbents AT&T and Comcast. Expanding the availability of the service into more neighborhoods in Nashville reflects Fiber's promise to deliver service in the city in 2015.
Residents in parts of Midtown, Edgehill, Sylvan Heights, Acklen Park, Music Row, Hillsboro Village, West End and East Nashville will soon be eligible to sign up for the FTTH service. Today, Google Fiber has opened up the sign-up process for the Sylvan Park, The Gulch, Downtown and Germantown neighborhoods.
In tandem with beginning the sign-up process for these neighborhoods, the Alphabet-owned Fiber also announced a new billing concept called Community Bonus. Fiber said that the more people who sign up for service between now and Dec. 14, the larger the Community Bonus will become.
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“With Community Bonus, new and existing residential customers across Nashville can work together to save on their monthly bills,” said Martha Ivester, Nashville city manager for Google Fiber, in a blog post. “The idea behind Community Bonus is that the more people sign up, the bigger the bonus becomes.”
Google Fiber customers will see the Community Bonus as a credit on their monthly bill every month through Dec. 31, 2019. Likewise, existing customers will already see a $1/month bonus, which can rise over time. All customers on the paid Fiber 1000, Fiber 1000 + TV, Fiber 100, and Fiber 100 + TV are eligible for the bonus. Regardless of the internet plan, the discount for internet is the same.
The service provider’s movement into Nashville has been fraught with various challenges.
Google Fiber faced strong opposition from telco AT&T and cable operator Comcast to get its "One Touch Make Ready" ordinance passed.
The goal of such an ordinance is to streamline the city's utility pole attachment process, allowing emerging providers like Google Fiber to install new equipment and wires on existing utility poles owned by AT&T. Both AT&T and Comcast have been critical of the ordinance, saying that it would cause safety and potential outages.
Nashville is just one of Google Fiber's recent city launches. Last week, the service provider began the signup process in Louisville, Kentucky. Residents in the Portland, Strathmoor and Newburg neighborhoods of Louisville can sign up for service.