On Wednesday, June 22, Google Fiber announced that it will acquire Webpass, a high-speed internet service provider, for an undisclosed sum.
According to ZDNet, Webpass provides internet access to business and residential customers at speeds between 100Mbps and 1Gbps. The small internet service provider (ISP) was founded in 2003 and at present has only around 80 employees.
Webpass is focusing on providing Ethernet-based fiber connections to business and gigabit internet in select residential markets. Up to date, the San Francisco-based ISP has 20,000 subscribers and has connected over 800 buildings nationwide.
Webpass provides a combined rooftop wireless and fiber network in five major markets, including San Diego, San Francisco Bay Area, Chicago, Miami and Boston. Among the ISP's business customers are included Wordpress, HBO Films, Forsquare, Mozilla, Zappos, Lyft and Oracle Racing.
Google announced its plans to acquire Webpass on a post published on its Twitter account. The news is confirmed by Webpass' press release. The acquisition will support Google's continued expansion of its own fiber service by integrating a well-established commercial provider of gigabit internet.
Webpass founder and president Charles Barr wrote that the two companies will accelerate the deployment of super-fast internet by joining their forces. Webpass will remain primarily focused point-to-point wireless connections for residential and commercial buildings.
The deal is still subject to regulatory approvals in the industry, but it is expected to close later this summer. According to the Verge, the deal could give Google Fiber an edge against cable companies in large apartment building as well as help the company with its Bay Area rollout.
After Google's restructuring last year, Google Fiber operates as a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc. Back in February, the company announced the San Francisco Bay Area as its next target city. At the time, Michael Slinger, the group's business operations director, explained that Google Fiber would rely on existing fiber networks instead of building out its own network..
