Google Fiber said it has closed its acquisition of Webpass, a point-to-point wireless broadband service provider that serves portions of San Francisco, Oakland, San Diego, Miami, Chicago and Boston.
Google, which announced the deal in June, noted that its acquisition of a smaller affiliate, Webpass Telecommunications LLC, is expected to close later this year.
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“Going forward, Webpass will continue to grow and scale their business with point-to-point wireless technology, including expanding into new cities,” Dennis Kish, president of Google Fiber, said Monday in this blog post. “Google Fiber will continue to build out our portfolio of wireless and fiber technologies, to bring super fast Internet to more people, faster. In the meantime, there will be no changes for current Webpass or Google Fiber customers, who will continue to get the same great services they love.”
He reiterated that Google Fiber’s “strategy going forward will be a hybrid approach with wireless playing an integral part,” noting that point-to-point wireless has shown to be reliable way to deliver high-speed services in high density environments.
Google has asked the FCC for permission to move ahead with plans to trial wireless broadband in as many as 24 U.S. locations, including New York City, Chicago and Atlanta.
Of recent note on the wired side, Google Fiber has opened up the sign-up process in the North Carolina “Triangle” area, starting in Morrisville.
