Announced in a press release , Google Fiber has acquired fellow gigabit internet provider Webpass. For those unfamiliar, Webpass was founded in 2003 with a focus on providing gigabit internet connectivity for customers around the United States, in both commercial and residential areas, although the biggest focus was commercial.
Currently, Webpass is active in five United States markets, including San Francisco, San Diego, Chicago, Boston, and Miami. It’s not entirely clear what will happen with the Webpass branding following the acquisition, but the company’s president Charles Barr explained that by joining forces with Google Fiber, the two can work together to create “fast, abundant internet.”
Joining Google Fiber will be a great development for our users because the companies share the same vision of the future and commitment to the customer. Google Fiber’s resources will enable Webpass to grow faster and reach many more customers than we could as a standalone company.
The acquisition should help Google tremendously with its Fiber rollout in San Francisco. Currently, Google has plans for Fiber in select apartments and condos in San Franciso. The company’s main focus is residential areas, but by joining forces with Webpass, Google Fiber can take advantage of both infrastructures and expedite the rollout. AT&T is also working towards offering gigabit internet in San Francisco.
It’s unclear at this point how much the deal is worth, but the companies expect it to close sometime this summer following regulatory approvals.
The full announcement can be read below:
We have exciting news to share: Google Fiber has entered into an agreement to acquire Webpass. Google Fiber and Webpass share a commitment to creating fast, abundant Internet connectivity in the U.S. By joining forces, we can accelerate the deployment of superfast Internet connections for customers across the U.S. Webpass will remain focused on rapid deployment of high speed Internet connections for residential and commercial buildings, primarily using point to point wireless. The transaction is expected to close this summer, subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals.
Today, Webpass has tens of thousands of customers across 5 major markets in the U.S., and we hope to reach many more in our next chapter with Google Fiber. Webpass will continue to grow its service in current operational cities of San Francisco, Oakland, Emeryville, Berkeley, San Diego, Miami, Miami Beach, Coral Gables, Chicago, and Boston, adding to Google Fiber’s growing list of operational cities.
On a personal note, I started this company 13 years ago to deliver a simple, high quality Internet connection to as many people as possible. Joining Google Fiber will be a great development for our users because the companies share the same vision of the future and commitment to the customer. Google Fiber’s resources will enable Webpass to grow faster and reach many more customers than we could as a standalone company. I’m very much looking forward to this next chapter for Webpass, and let me take this opportunity to once again say thank you to all of our loyal customers. We are thrilled to be on this journey together.
Charles Barr President Webpass
