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Google is expanding the coverage of its existing gigabit Internet offering from Kansas City into another area of Kansas. The city of Shawnee, just outside of Kansas City, will gain Google Fiber in the future, and joins the high-speed connection construction waiting list alongside Olathe in the same state, Austin in Texas and Provo, Utah.
An Internet service provider has announced the launch of its fiber-based Internet service in the Vermont area, but this time it isn't Google. Vermont Telephone Company (VTel) has started to offer its customers gigabit Internet speeds over its new fiber optic network, and is managing to do so at half the price of Google Fiber.
The seven-member Provo Municipal Council approved Google's offer to buy the iProvo fiberoptic network. The unanimous vote makes Provo the third area to adopt the search engine as an internet provider. While Google has to pay the area $1 for the right to use the extant fiber, the locality has a number of additional expenses related to the network that it must still pay, not previously announced.
Google has released a native iPad app for subscribers of its Fiber TV service. Users can browse and search for shows that are airing live, as well as on-demand content, and anything recorded to DVR. On-demand content can in fact be both bought and watched using the app.
Following in the wake of Google's announcement of Fiber expansion in Austin, AT&T has announced similar plans, according to a press release. The company is planning to build out a gigabit fiber network in the city, but hasn't yet revealed what parts of the city will be served, or what the gigabit tier might cost. Likewise, it hasn't set a timeline for when the network will be completed.
Google has officially announced it will be building its fiber Internet service in Austin, Texas. The expansion, leaked over the last few days, will see Austin become the second city after Kansas City to get the Gigabit Internet and TV service through Google Fiber, with the company hoping to "start connecting homes" to the network by mid-2014.
Recent research estimates the cost of Google's Kansas City fiber project is just below $100 million, so far. Carlos Kirjner and Ram Parameswaran of Bernstein Research believe that the rollout of Google Fiber in Kansas City, Kansas has cost $42 million, while Kansas City, Missouri has cost $52 million for the current fiber build-out.
Seemingly adding confirmation to the rumors of Google Fiber in Austin TX, industry evangelist Gig.U briefly posted a press release congratulating the Texas city on joining the project. The retracted press release included a statement by the director of the Gig.U project commending the effort, as well as some benefits expected from wide-scale deployment of the ultra-fast connection technology.
Austin, Texas could be the next city to get Google Fiber, an upcoming meeting suggests. Google and the City of Austin are holding an event on April 9th, and city sources tell GigaOM that they suspect it's related to broadband. "You are a leader here in Austin," a leaked invitation reads. "Every day, your work and contributions help make our community better and stronger. That’s why we want you to be one of the first to hear about something new coming to Austin. Please join Google and the City of Austin for an announcement on Tuesday."
Google has announced it will be making its first major expansion for the Google Fiber network, to a city not too far away from its existing service. Officials from Olathe City Council in Kansas approved the build-out of the Fiber network into the city on Tuesday, making it the first location after the service launched to receive Gigabit Internet speeds.
Google has announced the next areas to get gigabit Internet access in Kansas City. Five more "fiberhoods" will see the high-speed connection rolled out in early 2013, with the search giant setting deadlines for residents requesting installation in those areas to choose their package before construction work begins.
For the first time, Netflix has published data on ISP streaming performance, showing that Google Fiber significantly outperforms its other nationally-active competitors. Netflix's figures give the average speed at which customers of different ISPs can download movies, and it notes whether ISPs have moved up or down in the rankings in the last month. Google Fiber leads the pack with 2.55MBps, with Verizon's FiOS and Comcast significantly behind.
Analysts have worked out that it would cost Google over $140 billion to cover the entire United States with fiber. Copying the same Google Fiber project in Kansas City, Kansas and Kansas City, Missouri would take a lot more in funding than the company's $45 billion in cash reserves, though a significant number of homes and businesses could still be theoretically covered.
Google Fiber, the gigabit Internet service from the world's largest search engine, is going live today in Kansas City after months of building out the fiber infrastructure. A number of customers today will see their homes linked up to Google's Internet and IPTV service, with the Hanover Heights and Spring Valley neighborhoods of Kansas City first in line. The ultra-fast Internet connection appears to be yielding positive benefits for the municipality already, as a number of startups are said to have been moving to the area and renting or purchasing houses in order to take advantage of Google Fiber's speeds.
Most neighborhoods in the initial Google Fiber cities have met their pre-registration targets. At least 180 of the 202 "fiberhoods" defined by Google in both Kansas City, Kansas and Kansas City, Missouri, have signed up enough households for the high-speed Gigabit Internet service to be switched on, with only one fiberhood showing no interest whatsoever.
A quarter of the neighborhoods in the Google Fiber project in Kansas City, Missouri have either approached or achieved their preregistration targets. A dedicated page for the pilot program shows that out of the 128 "fiberhoods" organized by Google, 31 have reached their target within four days of the registration rally commencing.
Google has officially launched its Google Fiber project. A streamed event by the search provider announced that both Kansas City, Kansas and Kansas City, Missouri will have the gigabit Internet service introduced to households within six weeks. Packages, including necessary hardware, and registration incentives were detailed on a YouTube stream, along with the surprise offer of "free" slower Internet access to those not wanting the full gigabit service.
Residents of both Kansas City, Kansas, and Kansas City, Missouri may be getting Google Fiber in the near future. An update on the Google Fiber Blog claims that the service will be launching soon, and that more information will be made available on July 26. The sentiment is also mirrored on the Google Fiber website, although with a message that reads as if it will be activated on that date.
A new Google-branded IP set top box has undergone testing by the FCC, backing earlier rumors that the company is planning on bringing out a cable TV service. While it may be relegated to where Google Fiber is offered, which is thus far only in Kansas City, Missouri, and Kansas City, Kansas. The box carries the GFHD100 model number and is manufactured by Humax.
Google has got its wish and been approved to provide video services over its 1Gbps Google Fiber network. The application was approved on Friday by the Kansas Corporation Commission for Kansas City, Kansas. Kansas City, Missouri, had already allowed Google to provide similar services in a March 1 decision.
Google chief Eric Schmidt during his evening keynote at Mobile World Congress this year made a swath of predictions that focused heavily on low-cost smartphones. When asked when Android would make its way to basic feature phones, he noted that Android was already going that route. Device builders were working on Android phones that would cost in the $100 to $150 range within the next year, and that it was likely they would drop down to $70.
Google last week filed an application with the Missouri Public Service Commission seeking approval to offer fiber-based TV services in Kansas City, Missouri. If approved, the service, coupled with the company's previously announced intentions to offer high-speed internet access, would bring it into direct competition with cable-provider Time Warner as well as satellite services providers. Google has already begun laying fiber-optic cabling needed to offer the broadband-based services.
Google is attempting to build a farm of 4.5-meter tall satellite dishes near its data center in Council Bluffs, Iowa. In an FCC Public Notice (PDF), Google stated the antennas would receive broadcasts from satellites such as the Intelsat 9 that may be bundled with a high-speed fiber Internet service like its Google Fiber project. The satellites would only receive C-band and Ku-band signals.
Despite a recent setback over some wiring issues, Google on Monday announced it is now laying down fiber optic cables as part of its Google Fiber project. The area in question includes Kansas City, Kansas and Kansas City, Missouri. Once complete, Google promises data speeds as high as 1Gbps, or much higher than even most commercial fiber rollouts.
The Google Fiber project in Kansas City has hit a snag, the Kansas City Star reported. The problem involves how and where the required wires are to be hung on the utility poles and is said to have set the project back by months. Installation costs and fees are also in dispute.
In an odd decision, Google may go into traditional TV, insiders may have divulged Thursday. The YouTube owner would use its Google Fiber in both Kansas City rollouts to include TV and possible VoIP phone service, the Wall Street Journal was told. Early talks were said underway with Discovery, Disney, and Time Warner to supply content.
Comcast chief Brian Roberts during his turn on stage at the Cable Show on Thursday showed an example of the practical possibilities of cable modem Internet access in the future. Using a 1.08Gbps testbed, the executive successfully downloaded a 23-episode season of 30 Rock in about 99 seconds. The best current cable Internet access in the US tops out at about 100Mbps.
Google on Tuesday expanded its Google Fiber ultra high-speed broadband service to Kansas City, Missouri. This comes a month and a half after it announced the same undertaking across the river in Kansas City, Kansas. Service that promises Internet speeds as much as 100 times faster, at 1Gbps, would begin sometime in 2012.
Google will make money on its Google Fiber project, for which it picked Kansas City, KS. According to The Kansas City Star, 1Gbps connections won't just be a test bed for the technology behind it, but have money-making potential. Google's executive in charge of the installation in Kansas, Kevin Lo, said Google expects to make money selling Internet access in Kansas City.
Google on Wednesday made its pick for the Google Fiber project today and said it would first roll out the 1Gbps Internet access in Kansas City, Kansas. The city was picked out of fierce competition from about 1,100 candidates. Google already had a development agreement in place and would be working with local firms and institutions to roll it out.
