What Is Google Fiber?

Internet users hoping for an extremely fast and price-competitive service provider need to ask themselves the questions: “What is Google Fiber?” and, perhaps more importantly, “When is it coming to my city?” The web search giant created Fiber to build an Internet service capable of speeds up to 1,000 times faster than a typical connection.

With more consumers desiring both streaming television and standard Internet content, faster bandwidth is a growing necessity. Google’s one gigabit per second service fills that void along with creating competition, which forces other providers to increase their price-performance ratio.

Google Fiber: A Closer Look

Currently, Google Fiber is only available in Kansas City, with Austin, Texas, and Provo, Utah, slated to get the service shortly. Fiber’s price in Kansas City is $70 per month for the 1 Gbps Internet service and $120 per month for an Internet and TV service bundle. Google also offers a free 5 Mbps service with a one-time $300 construction fee that can be prorated at $25 per month for one year; the one-time construction fee is only $30 in Provo.

Paid Internet users also get 1 TB of cloud-based Google Drive storage. Those who pay for the TV bundle also receive a 2 TB DVR and a Google Nexus tablet, along with a TV remote control.

Google Needs to Roll Out Fiber More Quickly!

Given the fast speeds of Google Fiber, many other locales are clamoring to receive the service. Just last month, Google announced 34 new cities that may be among the next locations to get Fiber. The 34 cities are located in nine metropolitan areas across the United States — but surprisingly nowhere in the Northeast made the cut.

Given the planned merger between Comcast and Time Warner, competition among Internet service providers is needed now more than ever. Soon the question will change from “What is Google Fiber?” to “How soon can it be available everywhere?”

Photo credit: Flickr/UCFFool