AT&T may be suing to stop Google Fiber in Louisville, Kentucky from moving forward, but Google Fiber's plans for the city are proceeding anyway. To ease Google Fiber's entry into the city, Louisville streamlined its pole-attachment process, letting a third-party, insured contractor move all market competitors' gear. Such "one touch make ready" rules benefit all competitors, and reduces the red tape delay of pole attachment in the city from an estimated six months -- to just one.
But because Google Fiber would compete with AT&T, which owns 40% of the utility poles in the city, AT&T filed suit, claiming that Louisville's pole attachment changes
violate the law.
But the lawsuit apparently isn't stopping Google Fiber from moving forward anyway. The company is currently advertising job opportunities in Louisville. The company says it's currently looking for a network deployment and operations construction manager; a field operations manager; a project manager; a fiber network deployment manager and operations construction lead; and a lead engineer.
In addition to the job postings, Google Fiber continues to submit fiber hut build plans to the city. Some eleven such plans have already been submitted for the huts, each of which capable of providing service to around 11,000 residents.
All told, Google Fiber likely sees AT&T's lawsuit as little more than a temporary setback to bringing additional broadband competition to Louisville.
"Google Fiber stands with the City of Louisville and the other cities across the country that are taking steps to bring faster, better broadband to their residents," Google Fiber said in a
recent blog post. "Such policies reduce cost, disruption, and delay, by allowing the work needed to prepare a utility pole for new fiber to be attached in as little as a single visit—which means more safety for drivers and the neighborhood."