Google Fiber Numbers Report

While many see Google Fiber as a threat to traditional ISPs, the provider’s penetration so far suggests a different story. Google ended last year with a little under 30K video subs, according to MoffettNathanson, citing numbers from the US Copyright Office, which tracks video penetration under compulsory license fee requirements. That includes 194 in Stanford, 7,026 in Kansas City, KS, 20,140 in Kansas City, MO, and 2,507 in Provo, Utah. In terms of penetration based on homes passed, it’s 5% in Stanford, 13% in Kansas City, KS, 10.5% in Kansas City MO, and 8% in Provo. Though Google Fiber is growing rapidly, “it [penetration rate] is testament to how hard, and how slow, it is to build scale as an overbuilder,” analyst Craig Moffett said in a research report. “To Cable & Satellite investors, Google Fiber is a bit like Ebola: very scary and something to be taken seriously… but the numbers are very small, it gets more press attention than it deserves, and it ultimately doesn’t pose much of a risk (here in the U.S. at least).”