Google Fiber has its next destination: Austin, TX. The ultra highspeed broadband service is supposed to roll out in mid-2014, when Austin will join Kansas City as the only two places linked up to Google’s network (so far).
Customers will have a choice between Gigabit Internet or Gigabit Internet plus Fiber TV service. Gigabit Internet is Google’s term for crazy fast 1000 mb upload and download speeds. That’s the max speed our electronics, like routers, are currently built for, though in the future we may be able to get even faster speeds with Google Fiber if the “inputs” for electronics are redesigned.
Just to compare, Google’s Gigabit Internet would be somewhere around 100-140 times faster than a typical home broadband connection now.
For more on pricing and how installation will work, check out our introduction on Fiber, from when service was just being rolled out in Kansas City. For now, it looks like subscribers will still receive free 2 TB hard drive to record movies and TV, and will receive free setup.
Plus, Google has announced they will be providing completely free service to schools and hospitals to spark interest and get people familiar with the service. Though it’s hard to imagine tech hub Austin not having tons of interest in the service already! As Austin Mayor Lee Leffingwell pointed out, “Google Fiber will change how we live and how we work in ways we don’t even know about yet.”