Google Fiber to bring 1000 Mbps speeds, TV, free Internet to Kansas City

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Broadband, Corporate News, Google, Home Entertainment, Internet

Today Google finally took the wraps off of its long-awaited Google Fiber service. Focusing on Kansas City, Google Fiber is both an Internet service and television service, and Google showed off just how awesome the service will be.

First, the Internet speeds. Google Fiber provides gigabit speeds both up and down the pipe. That's 1000/1000 Mbps (which makes our 35/35 connection look atrocious.) The company detailed how far behind the USA is in terms of speed and pricing, and is looking to invoke some major change. Google Fiber Internet will also come with 1TB of Google Drive cloud storage, and there will be no bandwidth caps or overage fees. But that's not all…

Google Fiber TV is the other piece of the puzzle. The service comes with a Bluetooth remote control, as well as a Google Nexus 7 tablet that can also be used as a remote, at no extra charge. Searching for shows is similar to what you'd find on a Google TV device. The DVR can record up to 500 hours of HD content on its 2TB hard drive. A remote control app will also be available for other Android and iOS devices, including voice search and video streaming.

What's the cost? Pretty reasonable, actually. First, there's a $300 construction fee to get the fiber line installed in your home, but this will be waived for new customers for a limited time. Then you have three packages:

Gigabit + TV: For $120 per month, you get the Gigabit Internet package, and all non-premium (HBO, Showtime, etc.) channels that the service has to offer. This includes local channels, major broadcast networks, and hundreds of "fiber channels." On-demand movies and TV are also part of the package, and it also supports YouTube and Netflix. The Nexus 7 tablet is included, as is 1TB of Google Drive storage.

Gigabit-only: For $70 per month you get the Gigabit Internet speeds plus 1TB of Google Drive cloud storage.

Free Internet: For a limited time, Google is doing the unprecedented--you can get slower (but still good) Google Fiber Internet free of charge. Speeds are 5Mbps down and 1Mbps up. Again, there is no monthly fee for the free service, although  the $300 construction fee does apply. Users can pay it all at once, or pay $25 per month for 12 months. Google has stated that the free portion will cost nothing for at least seven years.

All listed packages apply to residential accounts, as business account costs have yet to be announced.

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