Internet provider Google Fiber has started building a network for Leawood residents and businesses.
Utility work began in the northern part of the city for the new network this week, which will serve both residential neighborhoods and small businesses in Leawood.
Google Fiber provides “high speed” internet service
- Debuting in 2010, Google Fiber already serves several communities surrounding Leawood.
- According to the company’s FAQ page, Google Fiber is already up and running in Overland Park, Olathe, Shawnee, Roeland Park, Lenexa and Prairie Village.
- Customers can opt for plans ranging from $70 to $125 a month, depending on which speeds they opt for.
The network installation will take two to three years
- Rachel Merlo, Central Region Head of Government and Community Affairs for Google Fiber, said installation will start in the northern part of Leawood and gradually move south.
- Residents will receive mail notices when construction is coming to their neighborhoods.
- Merlo said that while some parts of Leawood with higher concentrations of multi-story homes might be more difficult to build in, Google’s goal is to ultimately serve most — if not all — of the city.
- “When it comes to your residential home internet, what we typically see in places where Google Fiber goes is competition enhances the experience for all consumers,” she said. “Hopefully they pick Google Fiber, but even if they don’t, folks should see prices go down, speeds go up and customer service experiences improve.”
Google Fiber tried to come to Leawood 10 years ago
- In 2013, the city entered an agreement with Google Fiber for a new network.
- But Google terminated the agreement a year later because the company wanted to build out some of its network on utility poles above ground (and in some residents’ back yards), against the city’s wishes that all new utilities be built underground.
- The city revisited the possibility of bringing Google Fiber to Leawood last year, and approved a new agreement with the company that now includes underground installation.
Go deeper: Customers can check their eligibility here and sign up for Google Fiber when their neighborhoods become eligible.
