Nashville gives final approval of Google Fiber 'One Touch' plan

Google Fiber scored a major victory in its effort to expand to Nashville (TN), netting final Metro Council approval of a proposal known as One Touch Make Ready that the company has made the focal point of its gigabit Internet rollout here. But while the council's action — which came by a voice vote — caps weeks of intense debate and failed negotiations surrounding utility pole attachment methods, it probably sets the stage for a legal battle.

Executives from AT&T, which sued Louisville (KY) after it passed a similar ordinance, have made clear that Nashville can expect a lawsuit if One Touch Make Ready becomes law. Supporters of Google Fiber have framed the issue as allowing more competition against existing providers Comcast and AT&T, which have both opposed the measure. The council's top proponents pushed that theme Sept 20. The council's approval came after it first voted 26-12 to defeat a proposal from Antioch-area Councilwoman Tanaka Vercher, a critic of the measure, to delay voting for two meetings. She said the council needed more information on how Google plans to pick which communities it will serve. A similar deferral effort was narrowly defeated by the council two weeks ago. The ordinance now heads to the desk of Mayor Megan Barry, who has refrained from taking an up-or-down position on One Touch Make Ready, seeking compromise among providers. Nevertheless, she plans to sign the bill into law. “One Touch Make Ready appears to be a common-sense way of speeding up the deployment of high-speed Internet throughout Davidson County," Barry said in a statement.