Google Fiber in Nashville is open for business

Google Fiber is open for business in Nashville, connecting four apartment and condominium buildings in Nashville’s core to its gigabit-speed Internet and launching a Fiber Space in the Gulch.

The milestone comes 15 months after Google Fiber announced Nashville as a new market. In the meantime, existing providers AT&T and Comcast have upped their own fiber rollout in Middle Tennessee and have begun offering the ultra-fast connection to area homes and apartments.

Martha Ivester, who leads Google Fiber's Nashville operations, did not provide updates on neighborhood connection or on how the sign-up process will work, but she emphasized the company’s commitment to customer service and to connecting as many homes as possible.

“Our goal really is to connect the lion's share of Nashville," Ivester said. "Not just apartments and condos but all residents, whether they are in a single-family home or a multi-dwelling unit, and small businesses as well."

Nashville apartment dwellers are able to track their access to Google Fiber through the company’s online "apartment finder" feature. Rhythm at Music Row, Element Music Row, Bristol on Broadway and Icon in the Gulch are among those buildings that offer access to residents.

The initial selection of the four buildings was driven by engineering, Ivester said. Those were the easiest to reach by aerial connection and through a new method called micro-trenching that allows for less invasive, more shallow digging.

"As we continue to roll that construction out, that engineering and deployment will dictate which buildings we can connect," she said.

Google Fiber excites Nashville with possibilities

The Fiber Space, at 1108 Division in the Icon building, was opened to give customers a chance to learn more about Google Fiber products and experience gigabit speeds. Designed with couches, big screen TVs and soft chairs, consumers can come in with customer support questions or anyone can come in to use the in-store Internet.

Residents in those four apartment and condominium buildings can sign up at the Gulch store or online, and they can choose to pick up a self-installation kit or schedule an installation.

While Comcast and AT&T have a leg up on their new competition, with gigabit service underway and a long-established foothold in the Nashville market, Google Fiber has a clean track record of customer service that could help them win over consumers eager for improvement.

It’s an opportunity the company doesn't plan on squandering. The company relies significantly on data to make staffing and scheduling decisions so as to meet its installation appointments, Ivester said.

“When we tell you someone is going to be there at 8:35, they are there at 8:35,” she said. "We really measure customer service. That's something we want to always overdeliver on."

In addition to the Google Fiber Internet and television, the company is offering Nashville consumers Fiber Phone, a $10 a month service for making local and international calls that connects to a mobile phone and transcribes voicemail.

The company has also begun installing fiber in Edgehill Apartments, part of the federal ConnectHome initiative aimed at addressing the digital divide in nearly 30 metro areas. The service will be free to residents.

Edgehill Apartments to be first to get free Google Fiber

Beyond Nashville, AT&T and Comcast have adjusted pricing and expanded their gigabit offerings in other cities after Google Fiber expressed interest in those markets. The additional competition and increase in high-speed Internet access have meant more choice for customers, as well as more ad revenue potential for Google's search engine.

“A year ago people in Nashville had no gig opportunities," Ivester said. "As of (Wednesday), there will be three options for people. That is a great thing for Nashville. Philosophically, the more innovation that can happen in Nashville is a great thing for the city and a great thing for Google Fiber."

What is the Fiber Space?

The Fiber Space, at 1108 Division St. in the Icon building, will showcase the gigabit product to customers. Consumers can come in with customer support questions and users without gigabit access at home can use the in-store Internet.

How much will Google Fiber cost?

• Fiber 100: $50 a month for up to 100 megabits per second speed.

• Fiber 1000: $70 a month for up to 1000 Mbps, or 1 gigabit per second, speed.

• Fiber 1000 + TV: $130 a month for 1-gigabit speed, DVR, 150-plus channels.

Installation is free as long as a customer stays with Google Fiber for a year. If they cancel during that time period, they will pay a $100 fee.

How does that compare to competitors?

Comcast offers Internet for as low as $50 a month for its 10 Mbps service or as high as $130 a month for 150 Mbps. Its 2-gigabit speed offering, available to some Nashville homes, is $299 with a promotional rate of $159. The company has not listed the price of its modem gigabit speed technology.

AT&T offers Internet for $42 a month at speeds of 3 Mbps and $87 a month for 75 Mbps. AT&T’s GigaPower fiber begins at $70 and is at least $120 for TV and Internet.

What is Fiber Phone?

See https://fiber.google.com/phone/.

How does the apartment finder work?

The site features a map illustrating where Google Fiber is available and where it is on track to be available. Blue dots mean a building is connected, and red dots mean the building is on track to get fiber.

Will all of Davidson County be able to connect?

Not necessarily. Ivester said the company will try to connect as many homes as possible, but some areas are more difficult to connect, at least in the short term because of engineering challenges.

When will other counties beyond Davidson be connected?

There is no plan to go beyond Nashville at this time.

“The important thing is we deliver on our commitment to Davidson County," Ivester said. "That is the focus right now."

How to contact Google Fiber?

For construction issues, call 877-454-6959.

For questions about Google Fiber, visit google.com/fiber/nashville.

For jobs: https://fiber.google.com/careers/

Reach Jamie McGee at 615-259-8071 and on Twitter @JamieMcGee_.