Agreement allows Google Fiber right-of-way access on Apache Junction streets

By Richard Dyer
Mail | X: @RHDyer

A communications services license agreement was approved with Google Fiber Arizona LLC for work along and across public highways within the city of Apache Junction.

The Apache Junction City Council on March 3 voted unanimously as part of a consent agenda with other items to approve the agreement to install, place, operate, maintain, upgrade and repair the communications network.

Google Fiber is to pay the city a $3,500 application fee for the administrative costs involved in the issuance of a license, it states in the agreement.

A right-of-way usage fee is to be calculated as 2% of gross revenues and will be paid annually beginning on the execution date or a lump sum payment of $30,000 for the right to occupy the right of way for 24 months, it states.

The standard license agreement allows Google Fiber Arizona to install and maintain its telecommunication facilities within city rights of way, IT Director Doug Wirthgen wrote in a memo to council.

“The city of Apache Junction owns public streets and alley rights-of-way within the corporate limits of the city that are designated for use by utility providers for installation, operation and repair of public utilities pursuant to licenses or other agreements with the city,” he said.

Apache Junction is the fifth city in Arizona to reach a service agreement with GFiber following Mesa, Chandler, Queen Creek and Tempe. Apache Junction residents and business owners will be able to choose between GFiber’s three products — core, home and edge — with speeds up to 8 gig, it states in a release.

The majority of the work is to be done on low-traffic residential streets and with shallow-trenching construction methodology, roads aren’t shut down, and access to homes and businesses aren’t impacted. GFiber anticipates that for a city the size of Apache Junction, it could take a few years to build, Google Fiber said.

Richard H. Dyer can be reached at rdyer@iniusa.org, or on X @rhdyer. Please submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines, https://www.yourvalley.net/civility-checklist/.

Richard Dyer
Managing Editor | East Valley

rdyer@iniusa.org

Meet Richard
Richard Dyer has worked at Independent Newsmedia Inc. USA since 1987, starting his career in Apache Junction as a copy editor and being promoted over the years to work as the editor of the Mesa Independent, news services editor for the East Valley office in Apache Junction, managing editor for the East Valley office, news services editor for the East Valley office and eventually also for the newspapers at INI’s then-Chandler office, managing editor again and as a news editor covering Apache Junction/Gold Canyon and Queen Creek. He helped start the Florence Independent while the news editor covering Apache Junction and Mesa news. In January 2023, he became associate managing editor for the East Valley newspapers and in August 2023 became managing editor for the East Valley newspapers of Chandler/Tempe, Gilbert, Queen Creek, Florence, Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon, while also reporting on Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon.  

Community: Since 2009, he has worked as a volunteer to design The Blue Guitar Magazine, Blue Guitar Jr. magazine and Unstrung magazine, which are projects of The Arizona Consortium for the Arts; and since 2014, has been overseeing the art submissions. 

Education: University of Arizona with a master of arts in journalism and a bachelor of science in agricultural communication. Also continuing education at Mesa Community College in welding in a metal art sculpture class.

Random fact: Saw his first tornado on May 31, 2010, which was classified as an EF-2, as part of a stormchasing tour group.

Hobbies: He is an artist of welded-steel sculptures, selling his artwork at juried and non-juried art shows.