Updated Tuesday, 9:30 a.m.: Citing unnamed sources, the Wall Street Journal is now reporting that Google Fiber will expand to four metro areas — Atlanta, Charlotte, Raleigh-Durham and Nashville. WPLN’s Emily Siner will be live tweeting Nashville’s press conference at noon. Follow @SinerSays for more.
After nearly a year of discussions and speculation, Google will make an announcement Tuesday about whether it’s installing its gigabit-speed internet service in Nashville.
The description of Google’s press conference is intentionally vague, but that’s not stopping some people in Nashville’s technology industry from getting excited.
“I figure that a press conference is usually some sort of big announcement,” says Lizzie Keiper
, a customer education specialist at a software company. “I hope it means that we’re going to go forward with Google Fiber in Nashville.”
Google’s investment would be a boost of confidence in the city, she says. Richard Graves, co-founder of the tech company BKON, echoes her sentiment.
It would be a huge feather in Nashville’s cap,” Graves says. “Access to high bandwidth is a real benefit to companies in the technology space or companies making use of technology.”
Nashville is one of nine major cities that have been considered for Google Fiber. The company is also hosting press conferences this week in Charlotte and Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina. Details in those cities are just as fuzzy.
Google isn’t the only fiber-optic internet provider eyeing Nashville: AT&T said last July it plans to expand its Gigapower service here, although the company hasn’t yet given a timeline.
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