It’s happening! Google will launch its much anticipated, ultra-fast Google Fiber Internet service this December, according to Google officials yesterday. Austin was named Google’s second U.S. city after Kansas City to get its Google Fiber 1-gigabit service. Signups will begin in December for new users in the southern areas of Austin, according to Mark Strama, head of Google Fiber’s Austin operations.
Last year, in response to Google’s Austin announcement, Grande Communications began rolling out 1 gigabit service to its customers in February, and Time Warner Cable and AT&T announced they were going to upgrade their networks. AT&T rolled out a 300 Mbps service this summer and this week announced it had upgraded those speeds to 1 gigabit.
Public -Private partnerships like these are what local net choice is all about, where local communities can use all the resources at their fingertips to encourage the deployment of modern broadband infrastructure and choice. As FCC Chairman Wheeler stated on September 4:
“We must build on and expand the creative thinking that has gone into facilitating advanced broadband builds around the country. For example, Google Fiber’s “City Checklist” highlights the importance of timely and accurate information about and access to infrastructure, such as poles and conduit. Working together, we can implement policies at the federal, state, and local level that serve consumers by facilitating construction and encouraging competition in the broadband marketplace.”