From Photonics Engineering to Google Fiber Pioneer: Cedric Lam’s Journey to High-Speed Access

By Bretton Lam

Today, Google Fiber provides high-speed internet to millions of people and businesses across the United States. Its origins trace back to Cedric Lam and his mission to revolutionize America’s broadband connectivity. I had the honor of being invited by Cedric, the co-founder of Google Fiber, to dine with him on the Google Campus and interview him about his remarkable journey.

The Journey to Fiber

Cedric grew up in China before moving to Hong Kong at age 15. In high school, he excelled in physics, consistently placing at the top of competitions and classes. His love for physics and hands-on problem-solving led him to major in Electrical and Electronic Engineering at the University of Hong Kong. His academic excellence earned him a scholarship to study in the U.S., where he received his PhD in Electrical Engineering from UCLA.

After graduate school, Cedric began his career at AT&T, later becoming the Chief System Architect of a startup. However, the 2008 financial crisis made fundraising difficult, leading him to join Google as a staff optical network engineer.

During his first year at Google, founding CEO Larry Page became frustrated with the data caps imposed by his Comcast home internet plan. Page envisioned Google jump-starting the lagging broadband access infrastructure in the U.S. and providing nationwide high-speed connectivity. He asked his team to identify qualified employees to explore this opportunity. Because Cedric had previously written Passive Optical Networks: Principles and Practice, he was asked to investigate the feasibility of what would become Google Fiber—initially as his 20% exploratory project.

As the first and lead engineer, Cedric quickly assembled a team of passionate and knowledgeable Googlers, many of whom would become lifelong friends.

Insights for Emerging Entrepreneurs

Throughout our dinner, Cedric shared stories from his immigrant journey, his time at Google, and the technical foundation behind fiber optic networks. I also took the opportunity to ask him for advice aimed at young entrepreneurs.

Was there a specific moment that drove you to take the lead and start Google Fiber?
“I studied optical communication networks at graduate school and already had the vision to use fiber for broadband access networks. Later at AT&T Labs, I researched low-cost broadband fiber solutions. But the U.S. already had copper-based networks—DSL and cable—so without strong demand, no one wanted to build a fiber network due to the huge construction costs. When I was approached to start fiber optics at Google, it was the opportunity I had been waiting for.”

Describe a significant challenge you faced while working on the project. How did you overcome it?
“Although not directly tied to development, the biggest challenge was becoming a manager for the first time. Many early team members were close friends who believed in my vision. Balancing those friendships while evaluating their work from a managerial perspective was difficult. I wanted both my team and the Fiber project to succeed, but learning to manage people you care about is always a challenge.”

Do you have any advice for aspiring young entrepreneurs?
“Find your passion and pursue it. Only when you deeply care about something can you become truly good at it—and succeed. Always follow your heart, but use intuition and logic to guide your choices. When opportunities arise, seize them—you may not get them again. And build strong analytical skills through school; no matter what path you follow, they are essential for success.”