Overland Park delays OK of Google Fiber because of technicality

Overland Park residents will have to wait another month to see if Google Fiber is coming to town.

The city council continued the issue at its meeting Monday night because of a liability concern in the proposed legal agreement with Google. Council members agreed the technicality needs to be resolved before they feel comfortable voting.

Several council members said they are excited about Google Fiber potentially coming to Overland Park, but they want to make sure the city is soundly protected.

“I appreciate Google being interested in our community because Overland Park is one of the best cities in the country,” said council member Paul Lyons. “There is so much excitement about Google Fiber, and I know people think we should blindly go forward, but I think we need to look at this in a dispassionate way and have due diligence.”

In the agreement, Google intends to create a fiber network that would be capable of internet speeds of up to one gigabit per second within the city. It may also provide a WiFi network and free service in public facilities, such as schools and libraries.

The council is expected to vote on the agreement on Oct. 14.

This story was originally published September 17, 2013 at 12:31 AM with the headline "Overland Park delays OK of Google Fiber because of technicality."