TEMP – Cable and Internet Providers in Georgetown

Several fiber internet companies have come to Georgetown. That list includes, but is not limited to, the companies below. Each of these internet providers has their own game plan for the implementation and distribution of fiber internet in the City of Georgetown. Some are focused on limited areas of Georgetown; others aim to get their product out to 90 plus percent of the population. The competition between these providers allows Georgetown residents access to more internet options.

• Frontier Communications
• MCI Metro’s Verizon
• Altice’s Optimum
• AT&T
• Astound Broadband by Grande
• Charter’s Spectrum
• Ubiquity’s Fiber First
• Fiberlight
• Centric

Depending on the location, permitting is completed through Georgetown’s Right of Way (ROW) division, Williamson County, TXDOT, or the Homeowners’ Association (HOA) for privately maintained roads. The Georgetown Right of Way division reviews the ROW permit applications routed through the City to ensure that the plans meet code requirements. The City of Georgetown inspects and enforces City ordinances, ensuring that all projects comply with City standards.

Georgetown permit applications for fiber installation are submitted online through My Government Online. The policy documents listed are available for applying companies to download and read. All applicants must acknowledge that they have received and read the policy documents. If they do not acknowledge, their permit application will fail to submit. The required acknowledgements include the City’s right of way ordinances, tree protection requirements, and general construction requirements.

The City currently has one inspector in the Right of Way Division dedicated to ROW inspections. If that inspector cannot be physically present on site, the fiber contractors send photos of the stages of their work. Other inspectors within the City’s Systems Engineering Department also inspect Rights of Way.

No. The companies choose where to install and when, how to advertise their services, and how long before internet services are activated at each location. Georgetown permits are approved for up to 90 days before renewal is required. The Right of Way Division regularly grants permit extensions beyond the initial 3 months, if needed. In general, it takes 3-6 months to install fiber within a 2-4 mile radius. Some companies roll out their active internet in phases as they complete sections of their projects, while other companies try to complete a larger area prior to rolling out the active internet.

The permit holder is required to repair damages. As stated in the City code, there is a requirement that “…the Right-of-Way to be returned to a condition equal to or better than the condition prior to the work within seven (7) calendar days of the work being substantially complete… Site restoration may include final street and sidewalk sweeping, vegetation and landscape restoration, pavement striping, utility locating paint and flag removal, and removal of erosion and siltation controls.”

Any property that has been disrupted by the fiber installation has to be restored to a standard equal to or better than the original if the property damage is directly caused by the fiber installation. This not only applies to the grass, but to any property damage. If it can be shown that their work caused minor damage to utilities, driveways, irrigation, sidewalks, roadways, etc. that later grew into more major damage, the fiber installer is still responsible for that repair. This also applies to utility easements.

Damages in the right of way that pose a significant public safety or health hazard, such as damage to major utilities (water, wastewater, electrical, or existing fiber) or irrigation systems, must be repaired immediately on an emergency basis.

Otherwise, the companies have up to 7 days after the installation project is substantially complete to repair their damage. After that 7-day period, all work performed is under a two-year warranty. During the warranty period, any defective work must be corrected or subject to penalties. Some companies have gone further to say they will take responsibility for damage caused directly by their work as long as telecom lines remain active at a location.

Note: The permits submitted are typically for fiber installation in the entire neighborhood and not individual lots. While the work in front of one house may be substantially complete, the work defined in the permit may not substantially complete. The ROW permit holder is required, per the city regulations, to come back and repair the damage in an individual yard once the scope of work defined in the permit is substantially complete.

Grass growth is one exception to the “within 7 days of substantial completion” rule. When sod or seeding is used, having it look identical to how it did before within 7 days is typically unrealistic in practice. The city holds them responsible to complete the sod or seeding within the 7 days upon completion of project, with the expectation that the grass would grow to its full potential within a month or two. If the grass does not appear to be growing back by then, the company is still responsible for coming back out to repair it further as part of the two-year warranty.

Yes. The City’s tree protection policies are provided to the applicant at the time of permit submission and monitored by the City’s Urban Forester in the Planning Department with the help of the Right of Way Division.

If you see dirt and rock, then that is typically just filler using the rock and soil that was extracted from your lawn until full restoration is completed. This is known as backfill. During the backfill stage, typically contractors fill holes to avoid injuries from leaving holes in the yards. The installers are required to remove as much rock as reasonably possible, mainly from the top layer of soil, prior to sodding or seeding after topsoil is applied. Much of the subsurface in Georgetown is pure rock, especially at fiber drilling depths; so, the city’s expectation is that the top layers be restored to conditions suitable for planting grass and plants where grass and plants previously existed.

That depends on which part of your property is covered by the public right of way and/or a utility easement. See the diagram below; click it to view a larger version.

Optimum was the only landline cable provider operating in most areas of Georgetown until other landline cable companies chose to operate here starting in 2021. Optimum did not have a monopoly or exclusive franchise in Georgetown. There are no regulatory barriers preventing other cable providers from providing service in Georgetown. Larger cities with more population density tend to have more providers.

Optimum’s franchise to operate is at the state level with the Public Utilities Commission of Texas, as of February 2013. The City of Georgetown does not have the authority to regulate cable franchises or rates. Even prior to 2013 when the City was the franchising entity, the franchise was not exclusive, and the City had no authority to regulate cable rates or programming.

According to the Federal Communications Commission, “Cable programming services tiers (‘CPSTs’) include those programming services except the basic service tier, and does not include any premium channels (such as HBO or Showtime) or any pay-per-view services. The CPST rate is determined by the cable operator and is not subject to government review.” View more information on the FCC’s policies on CPSTs.

Fiber companies can share their plans and address concerns with members of the public directly. The City is developing a list of company contacts operating in Georgetown so that residents can reach out to the companies directly. In the meantime, to reach the Right of Way Division, email ROWpermits@georgetown.org.