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DRAPER — Google Fiber will soon be in another city in the Salt Lake Valley.
On Tuesday, members of the Draper City Council voted 5-0 to approve an agreement to bring the high-speed internet to city residents and businesses, according to the City Council's website. The agreement allows Google to access city property — like roads, park strips and other city land — as needed to install the fiber-optic internet cables.
"We are proud to have finalized an agreement with a private company that does not impose a financial obligation on the city or taxpayers for the infrastructure and service," said Draper Mayor Troy Walker in a statement. "As we are all increasingly reliant on dependable internet access for school, work and other needs, it was important to the city to pursue this partnership."
In a statement Wednesday, the city said it expects construction of needed infrastructure should begin this spring and last just over a year. Last year, Google Fiber infrastructure was a topic of concern in Cottonwood Heights, as some neighbors opposed the permit to construct a utility building in Cottonwood Heights. The city's planning commission ultimately approved a building permit.
With the approval, Draper will become the 12th Utah city to offer the service. The other 11 cities are Provo — which was just the third city in the country with Google Fiber and the first in Utah — Salt Lake City, South Salt Lake, Millcreek, Sandy, Taylorsville, South Jordan, Riverton, North Salt Lake, Woods Cross and Holladay, according to a FAQ sheet provided by Draper.
"Google Fiber is looking forward to helping Draper residents accomplish all the things they need to do online every day with dependable internet," Jacob Brace, a government and community affairs manager for Google Fiber, said in the statement.
Google Fiber offers download speeds of up to 1 or 2 gigabits per second, which is substantially faster than typical internet providers. Plans range from $70 to $100 per month.
