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At first, Google Fiber delivered super-fast internet through fiber pipes. Now it’s moving to do that without any pipes at all — and may soon be offering that option in more places.
A new FCC filing reveals that Alphabet’s internet and cable arm is seeking permission to test wireless broadband tech in 24 U.S. locations, including at least 12 cities. If approved, it would mark the most ambitious step in Fiber’s strategy to build out a nationwide broadband network with reduced costs and much faster rollout.
Business Insider first spotted the filing.
In essence, Fiber is asking to take the tests with wireless transmitters that it started in Kansas City, its first city, elsewhere. Craig Barratt, Fiber’s chief, first discussed the wireless plans in an April interview with Recode.
The unit, the most costly for Alphabet (outside of Google), has been more upfront about its wireless plans since acquiring Webpass, a tiny internet provider that uses similar tech.
The locations Fiber is scouting, according to the FCC listing, include some cities where it is currently operating, like San Francisco, as well as places where it is not, like Boulder, Colo., and Reston, Va.
In order to effectively deploy the kind of wireless internet to the home that Fiber is thinking of, the company needs to rely on some sort of backhaul — as in, existing fiber optic pipes or Google infrastructure.
This article originally appeared on Recode.net.
