Last push for Google Fiber signup begins with relaxed goals

Today’s map shows which Midtown neighborhoods are now qualified to receive Google Fiber. Those in green have pre-qualified to get the service, while those in yellow have not. The orange areas have shown some interest but have not reached the goal for their neighborhood.

With only five days remaining in the Google Fiber pre-registration period, the company has made some changes in goals for various neighborhoods. That means it will be easier for some areas to get the required number of pre-registrations, which determines whether Google will provide its high speed Internet service in those areas.

All of Midtown west of Troost Avenue has now qualified. An area qualifies when enough residents of a fiberhood – as Google calls sections of neighborhoods – pay a $10 fee to show interest in the new service. Residents in some areas have expressed concerns about the pre-registration goals Google assigned to them. Kevin Lo, General Manager, Google Access, writing in the Google Fiber blog, said his team has made changes that could make it easier for 73 neighborhoods to reach their goals.

“We found that, while we’d relied on a variety of sources to determine how many residences were in each fiberhood, the data wasn’t 100% accurate—specifically around vacant lots, abandoned homes and large apartment buildings—and therefore affected our pre-registration goals. Based on our new (and better) data, we’ve decided to adjust some fiberhood pre-registration thresholds,” Lo wrote.

The deadline for neighborhoods to show interest is Sept. 9. Google says it will begin to hook up neighborhoods soon after pre-registration ends, with connections beginning in Kansas City, Kansas and then moving to Kansas City, Missouri. The neighborhoods with the highest percentage of interested residents will be hooked up first. Schools and libraries in neighborhoods that have pre-qualified will also be hooked up; those in neighborhoods that have not met the threshold will not.

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