Google Fiber Pauses - But No One Else Should

[Community] Google Fiber has finally announced its plans for the future after weeks of dramatic speculation that it will lay off half its workforce and give up on fiber-optics entirely. Google has now confirmed our expectations: they are pausing new Google Fiber cities, continuing to expand within those where they have a presence, and focusing on approaches that will offer a better return on investment in the short term.

This is not a surprise: Google is fundamentally a private firm focused on its shareholder value. And as such, it does not have the right incentives to deploy what has become essential infrastructure.

Fiber Remains A Good Municipal Investment: If anything, Google Fiber's change in focus reinforces the importance of smart municipal investments.

Waiting Can Only Hurt You: Whether a community intends to offer services directly or simply to encourage more independent service providers, it is now clear that they need to take action. The "Google Lottery" is temporarily suspended. Get busy finding an approach that fits your needs and challenges.

Wireless Is Not Killing Fiber: 5G is not magic and won't meet all of our needs.
The Private Sector Needs You: The private sector, Google included, simply cannot solve this problem alone but cities can change the calculus.