Sonic.net, the ISP best known for managing Google's gigabit service at Stanford University, has filed a permit application to bring a similar fiber network to two thousand homes in San Francisco. The 1Gbps service will be some of the fastest in the nation, putting San Francisco on par with such high-tech havens as Hong Kong and South Korea. There's no word on pricing, but Sonic's Gigabit service in Sebastopol, California costs $69.95, and a 100Mbps plan is available for $39.95. By comparison, Verizon's fastest service, 150Mbps, will run you about $200 a month.
Given that Sonic.net has previously come out against bandwidth caps and for greater average speeds, we're not surprised that it's leading the way in the lagging US market. If the permit is approved and the pilot program is successful, Sonic plans to expand service over five years to most San Francisco homes. We can only hope other ISPs will follow suit.