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Google Fiber is soon coming to San Diego and Irvine. The communications giant has agreed to purchase San Francisco-based Webpass, Webpass founder/president Charles Barr announced on the company's website. Already serving San Diego, Webpass is an internet service provider that offers high-speed, plug-and-play internet service at speeds of 100 Mbps to 1 Gbps, depending on building infrastructure. The company also offers service in S.F., Miami, Chicago and Boston.
“By joining forces, we can accelerate the deployment of super-fast internet connections for customers across the US,” Barr says. “Webpass will remain focused on rapid deployment of high-speed internet connections for residential and commercial buildings, primarily using point-to-point wireless. Joining Google Fiber will be a great development for our users because the companies share the same vision of the future and commitment to the customer."
Barr says Google's resources will help Webpass grow faster and reach more customers than would be possible as a stand-alone company. The transaction is expected to close this summer, subject to regulatory approvals and other closing conditions. Pictured is new 10 Gbps fiberoptic cable, which Webpass is using to upgrade customer infrastructure to provide increased data capacity and greater reliability.
Earlier this month, Google Fiber announced a partnership with The Irvine Co to bring Irvine residents and businesses internet connections up to 40 times faster than basic broadband service, which maxes out at 40 to 50 Mbps. Google’s service will provide Irvine businesses internet connections at up to 1,000 Mbps and residential connections at 100 Mbps to 1 Gbps.
The Irvine Co has been installing empty conduits in and between its buildings since the mid-1980s to create a foundation for accommodating future technology.
“We weren’t sure exactly what the future would hold, but we wanted to be ready for it,” says Irvine Co VP of technology and innovation Timothy McClain. Google Fiber’s head of real estate partnerships, Pete Albers, says The Irvine Co's foresight in incorporating communications infrastructure into buildings in advance of the technology is making it easy to connect the company’s properties to Fiber.
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