Google Fiber is a new Gigabit Internet provider that could be coming to your area. What is Google Fiber and what should you know to be ready?
Will Google have to step on anyone’s toes to roll out such service and what impact can Google Fiber have on businesses and private users? Before we delve into all of this, let’s first understand what Google Fiber is.
What is Google Fiber?
Google is expanding their service portfolio to provide fast Internet to the market and become an established Internet Service Provider (ISP), in hopes of joining the ranks of their competitors AT&T, Comcast and others.
Google is also pushing out the boat by claiming to provide 100 times faster internet speed than other ISPs, with Gigabit (1000 Mbps) download speed. Google Fiber also offers 1TB Cloud storage and TV packages, in addition to their Internet service, to make the plan more appealing and practical to their potential customers.
With Google Fiber, businesses and private users would benefit by having:
- generous cloud storage capacity
- smooth video-conferences over VoIP
- fast internet browsing
- seamless video streaming
The Roadblocks for Google Fiber
Google is looking to roll out their Google Fiber services across the United States, and have already planned to include metropolitan areas such as San Antonio, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, San Jose, Portland, Nashville, Atlanta, Charlotte and Raleigh-Durham.
Since this covers a wide geographic area with different topology to contend with, Google needs to be able to access the utilities infrastructure in order to install the service, which has become their main obstacle. Therefore in efforts to overcome this obstacle, Google has filed a request to reclassify ISPs under Title II of the Telecommunications Act to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). If reclassification is granted by FCC, then Google will be able to run their Fiber installation on the same poles their competitors currently use to provide broadband.
This would be a huge victory for Google, but a nightmare for Comcast, AT&T and other broadband providers as they’ll need to adapt to newer regulations and give up a share of the market.
If Google has Title II rejected by the FCC to use the already established infrastructure, this would hinder Google Fiber’s roll out across the country as they’d need to literally build around it, making it even more costly business venture for them.
Where is Google Fiber Active?
At present, you’ll find Google Fiber rolled out and live in the area of :
- Austin,
- Kansas City
- Provo
Google provides a website to check if your address is serviceable by Google Fiber.
If Google is granted Title II by the FCC, that’d make the infrastructure available to move the service quickly across to other cities and areas.
For more ways to speed up your office network to ensure business continuity, contact your local IT professionals.
