Google has begun installing its Fiber TV and broadband service in Hanover Heights, Kansas City, KS, bringing residents access to internet speeds of up to 1 gigabit per second (Gbps).
The company first announced its interest in becoming an internet service provider in 2010. Hundreds of communities across the United States expressed interest—more than 1,100 cities applied to host the new Fiber service—but Google ultimately selected Kansas City, Kansas, and Kansas City, Missouri, as the initial test markets.
Google Fiber offers several pricing options: standalone 1 Gbps internet for $70 per month; a combined internet and TV package for $120 per month; or a free internet plan that requires a $300 construction fee. For the promotional rollout, construction fees are being waived for some plans.
Average broadband speeds vary by source. According to Akamai’s State of the Internet report, average peak connection speed in the United States was 28.7 Mbps—ranked eighth globally—while measured connection speed averaged 6.7 Mbps, placing the U.S. twelfth in that metric. Other measurements, such as Net Index data, put the U.S. average broadband download speed at 12.76 Mbps, with South Korea leading at 32.96 Mbps.
For many local residents, Google Fiber represents a dramatic upgrade over typical available connections. Google has emphasized both performance and service experience as priorities for the rollout.
“We want it to take the amount of time we (and you!) think it’s going to take,” said Alana Karen, service delivery director at Google Fiber, describing the company’s approach to installations and scheduling.
“We want to be able to explain what we’re doing in easy to understand language…and of course we’re aiming for ‘one and done’—one visit, everything working when we leave your home,” Karen added.
Not everyone has shared the excitement. In July, Benoît Felten voiced skepticism that Google Fiber lived up to the surrounding hype, suggesting that the brand was a major factor in public interest rather than any revolutionary technical approach.
“My view at this stage is that Google Fiber is an interesting commercial project not because of what it offers or how—there’s nothing very different there from your standard cable company—but because of who is offering it,” he wrote.
Felten also noted that while a gigabit for $70 is significantly cheaper than other gigabit offerings in the U.S. and will appeal to tech enthusiasts, it remains more expensive than many current broadband plans available to Kansas City customers.
Key questions remain as the rollout continues: how competitively priced Google’s packages will prove over time, how long the company will waive the $300 construction fee on some plans, and how tightly the Fiber service will integrate with Google’s broader ecosystem of services and products.
As installations proceed in Hanover Heights, residents and industry observers will be watching to see whether Google Fiber delivers on its promises of higher speeds, reliable service, and a streamlined customer experience.
Below is Google’s video celebrating the installation of the Fiber infrastructure: