
The acquisition of Webpass was a giant step forward for Google Fiber.
Google Fiber acquired Webpass, one of San Francisco’s biggest Internet Service Providers.
Google Fiber, Alphabet’s current fiber-to-the-premises service, announced earlier in February of this year that is intended on expanding its service range to the San Francisco and the Bay Area.
Webpass was founded in 2003. The internet service provider offered residential gigabit connections in select areas which were built after 1995. It also focused on providing Ethernet fiber connection to businesses/ Webpass’ activity boasts with over 20,000 customers, and it has activity not just in San Francisco but also San Diego, Chicago, Boston, and Miami.
Google Fiber is currently an active service in Kansas City, Atlanta, Austin, Nashville, and Provo. Alphabet’s ISP also plans to be soon available as a service in Huntsville, San Antonio, and Salt Lake City.
With the acquisition of Webpass, Google Fiber can begin its San Francisco rollout. Fiber will not have to build out of its own network as it can use Webpass’ existing network instead.
To some extent, the acquisition implies that Google Fiber bought out a 20,000 customer base, an already existing fiber network reaching out in five major cities, and one less competitor in the market.
Webpass plans to continue to expand as before, in Oakland, Emeryville, Berkeley, Miami Beach, Coral Gables, as well consolidate its client base in San Francisco, San Diego, Boston, Chicago, and Miami.
The internet service provider also intends to carry on in rapidly deploying gigabit-speed connections via point-to-point wireless.
If the acquisition of existing networks and frameworks proves to be an efficient way of distributing its services, Google Fiber could rapidly expand in the following years to come throughout the United States.
With intentions to make their wireless connection speeds just as fast as their wired ones, future Google Fiber users would not need to be a part of an existing wired network. Fiber’s installation time could become something as simple as a phone call or an email if cable installation, management, and maintenance is no longer an issue.
The final details of the transaction are expected to be resolved at the end of summer, due to regulatory approvals. Webpass or Google Fiber have yet to disclose any financial details pertinent to the acquisition.