What Went Wrong With Google Fiber?

So what happened to Google Fiber? For one thing, building out a brand new wireline communications network from scratch is costly, difficult work. Permits must be obtained, partnerships with local governments must be struck, and obstacles thrown up by incumbent Internet service providers and their allies in statehouses must be overcome. Then there’s the small matter of actually building out the network—laying fiber in the ground, or stringing fiber on utility poles—which is an expensive, labor-intensive, and time-consuming endeavor. "I suspect the sheer economics of broad scale access deployments finally became too much for them," said Jan Dawson, an analyst with Jackdaw Research. "Ultimately, most of the reasons Google got into this in the first place have either been achieved or been demonstrated to be unrealistic."

Then there’s the changing nature of Alphabet itself. Alphabet is under increasing pressure from Wall Street to rein in the costs associated with its more fantastical moonshots. One thing seems clear: Alphabet's decision to halt its fiber expansion increases the urgency for cities and municipalities around the country to build community broadband networks if they want faster, cheaper alternatives to the dominant internet service providers. It appears increasingly likely that Google Fiber won’t save you, people, so maybe it’s time to take matters into your own hands.