Live in an apartment and want Google Fiber? Here’s how to get it
Last week, Google finally revealed its plans for Google Fiber, making “fiberhood” a part of the Kansas City lexicon. Google put the onus on consumers to preregister for Fiber or be left without (with a deadline of September 9).
There was no time to waste. My fiberhood is Quality Hill — I live in an apartment there — and we were on the high-end of Google’s scale, needing 25 percent of the neighborhood to preregister to get Fiber. That’s 346 people. I tried to sign up … but I got this error message: “Sorry… we couldn’t find that address.”
The maker of Google Maps couldn’t find my address? How am I supposed to rally my fiberhood to preregister if I can’t do it myself? This wasn’t just a Quality Hill problem. I’ve heard from other apartment dwellers who were having the same issue.
I called up Google spokeswoman Jenna Wandres, who told me that the manager of my apartment complex would have to fill out a form to get into Fiber consideration. This form. You’ll want to send the link to your apartment complex or condo manager, too, if you want Fiber.
“We’re encouraging residents to talk to their landlords first, and tell them that they’re interested in having Google Fiber for their apartment building,” Wandres said. “Then the landlord can get in touch with us online and ask us to build to the building.”
So downtown apartment dwellers, if you want Fiber, talk to your landlords and send ’em that link.
