Google Offers Ultra Fast 2Gpbs Broadband
Google is doubling the top speed of its Fiber broadband service to 2Gbps, though it will cost $100 a month. It also says the speed will be available through its 'wireless' service for businesses.
The original idea for Google Fiber - at least according to the company - was to use its buying power and technology to offer an alternative high-speed service in areas which either had no serious broadband available or were served only by a single company that exploited its monopoly.
The problem is that while the service itself has had good reviews, Google doesn't offer it in many places. Only a dozen areas have Google Fiber availability through fixed line broadband.
Free Equipment On Offer
At the moment, Google offers customer a maximum download speed of 1Gbps for $70 a month on the fiber broadband service. Customers will be able to stick to that or switch to a new plan that's $100 a month but doubles the download speed. The maximum upload speed will remain at 1 Gbps.
To sweeten the deal, customers on the top plan will get a WiFi router and equipment for a mesh network free of charge. The mesh network users multiple devices around the house to extend WiFi range and strengthen signals.
The 2Gbps speed will also be offered to Webpass customers. That's a service aimed at places where wired cable is difficult to install, such as densely populated city centers. Instead, Google installs a mobile Internet antenna on the top of a building and then installs cabling throughout the building so customers can connect through Ethernet. (Source: webpass.net)
Because of this setup, it's generally only available where a business owns most or all of a building, or where a landlord owns an apartment block.
Wireless Promise Seems a Stretch
The 2Gpbs promise is raising eyebrows as the Webpass service currently has a maximum speed of between 100Mbps and 1Gbps depending on location, so it would theoretically take some work to offer it everywhere.
The new top speeds on Google Fiber will be tested from next month with a plan to roll it out to all customers from next year. (Source: arstechnica.com)
What's Your Opinion?
Do you use Google Fiber? Is it available in your area? Should Google concentrate on making the service available in more places ahead of increasing speeds?
My name is Dennis Faas and I am a senior systems administrator and IT technical analyst specializing in cyber crimes (sextortion / blackmail / tech support scams) with over 30 years experience; I also run this website! If you need technical assistance , I can help. Click here to email me now; optionally, you can review my resume here. You can also read how I can fix your computer over the Internet (also includes user reviews).
We are BBB Accredited
We are BBB accredited (A+ rating), celebrating 21 years of excellence! Click to view our rating on the BBB.
Comments
Typos
Please correct your multiple typos of "2Gpbs" to "2Gbps".
Do I use it?
Here's the problem, Dennis. I am in an area that doesn't have the volumn that Google looks for to install this fast service. even though there are 140,000 households in this county, that isn't enough for Google to invest any money. we would welcome ANY competition with the current providers, COMCAST/XFINITY or AT&T. installing the required equipment is time-consuming and very expensive and without a market to pay for it, even Google says "NO!".
if it WAS available, I would jump on it immediately, even though the cost might be a little higher. on the other hand, my Xfinity account includes a phone, basic cable service and the internet and I'm not sure I would be willing to give up the phone and cable just to get a little additional speed on my downloads.
I have just landed here in my time machine
...and I seem to have brought the weather (or rather the internet) with me. In my distant murky time we were amazed and delighted with anything above 1Mbps. And that is what I'm getting, if I get anything.
Could someone please take a giant earth mover, scrape Australia off the continental plate it's on and stuff it into my time machine? It would be nice to lift this ludicrous hunk of ramshackle crap and dump it into the present.
As to the point under discussion: the time frame on which it's likely Google will bring fast internet to disadvanged areas...well i'm not sure my time machine has enough range for that one. And it's got geological time. Perhaps it needs to be tweaked for cosmic time, though I still wouldn't hold my breath. Especially wouldn't.
Google wants this service for
Google wants this service for those that do not have much of high speed service, but yet the service is only available in major cities that does have better high speed service than those of us in remote areas where 3Mbps is the norm and some are shelling out major money to get ISPs to run dedicated lines to their home in hopes of 100Mbps which usually tops out at 50. NO ISP in my county even comes close to offering 1Gbps and all fiber that runs through town is part of long distance runs that connect between major cities that absolutely no ISP is willing to break off even a small chunk of that run to service our city / county.