'As Mediacom detailed in its original complaint and more recently in a petition filed with the Federal Communications Commission, the City made an exclusive deal with Google Fiber out of the public view while certain members of the council had strong conflicts of interest,' Tom Larsen, SVP of government and public relations for Mediacom, said in a statement.

Mediacom wants the project to be suspended until the lawsuit is concluded. Mediacom said it is pleased that the court allowed the suit to go forward while again alleging that the agreement between the city and Google Fiber will hurt taxpayers. Tied in, the suit claims that the council improperly used taxpayer-backed financing bonds 'intended to remedy urban blight and poverty' to build a $50 million citywide conduit network for the exclusive use of Google Fiber. MCC Iowa LLC, a subsidiary of Mediacom, lobbed its lawsuit at the city in December 2020, alleging that the council greenlit a sweetheart conduit network agreement with Google Fiber that violates state law. A handful of other allegations made by Mediacom, including one holding that the city is giving Google Fiber preferential treatment, will proceed. The order from a Polk County judge issued on Tuesday, May 18, dismissed Mediacom's allegation that the city was in the wrong for teaming with Google Fiber without first obtaining voter approval. A judge has denied a motion to dismiss Mediacom Communications' lawsuit that targets a broadband partnership formed between Des Moines, Iowa, and Google Fiber.

Mediacom suspend service