What is Google Fiber?

April 13, 2015 11:40 AM ET

by: Nick Gambino

 

You've likely heard some rumblings about Google Fiber. But what is it? And is it something you can or should take advantage of?

 

What is Google Fiber?

 

Google Fiber is Google's solution to what they perceive as slow internet speed among the top competitors. It boasts internet speeds of one gigabit per second or 1000mbps for downloads and uploads. For you non-techies out there, it basically allows you to download an entire movie in two minutes.  I'm not going to lie, that's pretty fast if it can deliver.

 

Just to give you a comparison that speed is 2x faster than the biggest plan Verizon FiOS offers. FiOS is seen as the leading internet provider so with Google's plans threatening to knock the big guy off the mountain, the whole tech world is talking.

 

On the TV side of things you have the option of watching over 150 channels and thousands of shows and movies on demand. And of course with it's power and speed it delivers that all in HD.

 

But I wouldn't get too excited just yet as they're not rolling it out everywhere. They've chosen only a few select cities to release it in. Specifically:

 

• Austin, TX,
• Kansas City, KS
• Kansas City, MO
• Provo, UT

 

With these cities coming soon:

 

• Atlanta, GA
• Charlotte, NC
• Nashville, TN
• Raleigh-Durham, NC
• Salt Lake City, UT

 

You might be wondering why they don't just roll it out nationally right away. Well, it's not as easy as simply flipping a switch. In order to get it up and running in just one city there's a whole lot of engineering that has to take place in order to install their fiber-optic network. As the construction is pretty intrusive they have to get plans designed and approved from the city first.

 

So domination of the internet/TV provider sector is quite a ways off for Google but definitely don't count them out. After all, they pretty much cornered the market on internet search engines. Remember when people used to use Yahoo to search the internet? Me neither.

 

Not that they don't have stiff competition, as Comcast just announced their Gigbit Pro plan which will make their internet 2 times faster than Google's. That's 2 gigabits per second or again a full download of a movie in 1 minute.

 

Comcast is launching Gigbit Pro in Atlanta to 1.5 million customers. Boy, Atlanta's got it made.

 

Personally I want to see these companies continue to compete on internet speeds until I no longer see that infernal buffer wheel. But alas, it's probably just wishful thinking.