Google Fiber: everything you need to know
Google has announced superfast internet in Kanas City, but that's not all: it's also unveiling Fiber TV, which includes DVR, apps, and voice search. It constitutes a complete rethinking of how we watch TV, and, if successful, could change the living room forever. We've got everything you need to know about Google's Fiber announcements right here.
Google Fiber also coming to Shawnee, Kansas following Austin and Provo
Google has just announced that it will be deploying its Fiber internet service to Shawnee, Kansas, after a city council vote there. Shawnee is just outside Kansas City, so it's a natural extension for Google — more so perhaps than Austin, TX or Provo, UT, the other two cities outside of the original launch that will be getting Google Fiber. Unfortunately, Google is not providing an estimated date for the rollout, saying only that "We still have a lot of planning and engineering work to do...
Google Fiber is coming to Provo, Utah by late 2013
Following its April announcement that Google Fiber will land in Austin, Texas, Provo officials revealed today that its super-fast Gigabit internet service will arrive next in Provo, Utah by late 2013. The Utah city will become the third to receive Google Fiber, following Austin and Kansas City. Google's new broadband networks will provide customers with "gigabit" internet: a service which offers download and upload speeds of 1,000 Mbps, which Google touts is as much as "100 times faster" than...
Google Fiber adds HBO and Cinemax to channel lineup
It's hard to call yourself a cable provider if HBO isn't in your lineup, and today Google has addressed that glaring hole in Google Fiber's channel listing. Subscribers in Kansas City (and eventually Austin) can now add a $20 HBO package to their monthly bill to fill their thirst for Game of Thrones and Girls. Aside from the core HBO channel, the bundle also includes HBO2, HBO Signature, HBO Family, HBO Latino, HBO Comedy, and HBO Zone. Cinemax is also arriving on Google Fiber today, with a...
AT&T to chase Google Fiber with its own gigabit internet in Austin
Google Fiber is still barely a blip on the internet landscape, but it's shaken up the largely stagnant world of wired broadband. Not long after Google announced that its gigabit internet service would be coming to Austin, Texas, AT&T has followed up with its own announcement: it intends to build a competing high-speed fiber optic network that could also reach gigabit speeds. AT&T says the expansion is part of a larger operation called Project VIP, a long-term upgrade program from 2012 that...
Google Fiber coming to Austin by mid-2014
Google has officially announced the next city that will get its super-fast Fiber internet: Austin, Texas. "We are very glad that Google has been convinced to bring Fiber to Austin," said Austin Mayor Lee Leffingwell in today's announcement. "Google Fiber will change how we live and how we work in ways we don't even know about yet." Austin will become the second US city, following Kansas City, to receive Google's groundbreaking internet service. The service will provide Austin residents with...
Google Fiber is coming to Austin, according to leaked press release (update)
Austin will be getting Google Fiber. There's no word on when the service will be rolled out, or how long it will take, but we do know that some Austinites will be getting the gigabit internet, television, and telephone service in the future. To-date, Kansas City and Olathe, KS are the only cities that have plans to receive Google Fiber, but now the service is moving across the country.
It's important to note that neither Google nor the City of Austin have announced the news. Instead, Gig.U,...
Google Fiber could expand to Austin as city preps for joint announcement next week
Google and the City of Austin, Texas have sent out invites to a press conference for "a very important announcement" next week, according to VentureBeat, and it is expected that the two will reveal that the city will be the next to receive Google Fiber. VentureBeat cites "multiple sources" that tell the website that the announcement will revolve around Google's gigabit internet service, but it's possible that the event will reveal some other partnership, like a new Google campus.
The...
First major Google Fiber expansion announced, several more planned
Google isn’t going far for the first major expansion of its Kansas City 1Gbps internet pilot project. Olathe, Kansas is only about 25 miles away, with a modest population of about 128,000. But while it will only be the third city to get the Google Fiber treatment (the first not named Kansas City), it sets an important precedent: Google is serious about expanding its service.
Eric Schmidt says that Google Fiber 'is a real business' and plans to expand it
Google chairman Eric Schmidt is on stage now at The New York Times Dealbook Conference and just had a few details to share about the Google Fiber broadband initiative. Despite the fact that the service is only available in Kansas City right now, Schmidt said that it wasn't "just an experiment, it's a real business and we're trying to decide where to expand next." Unfortunately no more details were forthcoming, but for those of us looking at the speeds Google Fiber users get with extreme envy,...
Google Fiber TV interface and Nexus 7 remote shows off integration with over-the-top services
When we first had the opportunity to see Google Fiber in person, we didn't get too much time with the interface itself. However, BTIG Research has just posted a video offering a brief preview of how the Google Fiber television service will work. The video (which is just a collection of stills) walks through both the Nexus 7 tablet remote control, as well as a bit of the interface on the television. Both heavily mirror each other, and the search feature pulls up results from over-the-top...
Google Fiber goes live in first Kansas City neighborhood
Four months after it announced an ultra high speed fiber optic network experiment in Kansas City , Google is beginning to connect homes to the 1,000 Mbps service. In a recent blog post, the company breaks down the installation process, saying that it wants to nail the small details — arriving at the beginning of the appointment window, installing everything cleanly and efficiently, and getting everything sorted out in a single visit. Ars Technica spoke with a resident of the Hanover Heights...
Time Warner Cable and AT&T vie for Kansas City's attention in order to compete with Google Fiber
Google didn't pick Kansas City, MO and Kansas City, KS as the locations to build out its Google Fiber service by chance — the company was given a number of incentives by both cities — and The Wall Street Journal reports that Time Warner Cable and AT&T want in on the deal too. In order to create the infrastructure for the cable and gigabit internet service, Google was given everything from free fiber, government employees, buildings, and discounted services; an agreement that a Time Warner...
Google Fiber TV now includes Cartoon Network, CNN, and other Turner channels
After introducing a somewhat lackluster channel lineup for Fiber TV, Google has quickly added many of the missing stations to the new service. Just days after taking in a number of major Disney channels, the company has announced that Turner stations are now included as well. The agreement brings notable entries to the lineup, such as Cartoon Network, CNN, TBS, and TNT. A few major channels like HBO and AMC are still nowhere to be found, but the lineup as a whole is shaping up nicely....
Google Fiber builds out channel lineup ahead of launch with ESPN, Disney, and more
Google Fiber is quite a deal at $120 per month for gigabit internet and HDTV service, but the original channel selection left a bit to be desired. That situation is being rectified a bit today as Google has announced that it has gotten Disney's family of channels — including big hitters like ESPN, ESPN 2, Disney Channel, ABC Family, and more — to hop on board. Engadget also reports that ESPN 3 will be available, as will WatchESPN some time in the future. While the main appeal of Google...
Google to blanket Kansas City with superfast internet: 180 neighborhoods register for Fiber
At least 180 Kansas City neighborhoods on both sides of the Kansas / Missouri state line have pre-registered for Google's superfast fiber optic internet service since its announcement back in July. According to a post on the official Google Fiber blog, the signups account for more than 89 percent of eligible neighborhoods — referred to by Google as "fiberhoods" — with the service set to be rolled out on a priority basis in order of registration.
The company emphasizes that it is still...
Google Fiber: first impressions from a Kansas City cafe
GigaOm reporter Dave Greenbaum recently visited Mud Pie, a vegan cafe in Kansas City that has secretly had Google Fiber running for several months. Greenbaum performed a few speed tests and found that, as expected, speeds were affected by the limitations of the 802.11n Wi-Fi specification, which struggles to reach over 160Mbps. Even over ethernet the reporter couldn't download at anything like the advertised 1Gbps speed. He also mentions that HD video playback became "glitchy" when another...
Google Fiber gains over 3,900 pre-registrations, more than 20% of 'fiberhoods' clear rally hurdles in first two days
Google's ISP adventure is off to a quick start, at least by its own benchmarks: according to its page for Kansas City, the company has received over 3,900 pre-registrations, and over 20% of the "fiberhood" zones it has designated have gained enough pre-registrations to guarantee a Google Fiber buildout. As our Dieter Bohn earlier reported from the ground in Kansas City, Google intends to build the service in areas with the most interest first, and calls each buildout a "rally." To qualify for...
Google Fiber + TV hands-on impressions, photos, and video
We spent some time with the prototype hardware and services Google is launching along with Google Fiber in Kansas City. The hardware consists of a set of three small boxes — two in a gray that is as nondescript as possible. That's not really a disappointment — these are utility boxes, after all — but it does mean you'll want to put these boxes in the corner instead of on your mantlepiece.
The TV box is slightly more distinctive, it's a thin angular black box that's bigger than an Apple...
HD & Home
The gear of Google Fiber: Network Box, Storage Box, and TV Box
Google Fiber is launching with its own TV service, and with it comes several new devices as part of each available package. The company will offer a Network Box that attaches directly to a wall-mounted fiber jack, including an 802.11n Wi-Fi access point and four gigabit Ethernet connections. Google also announced a separate TV Box for the other televisions in your home that features a Wi-Fi access point and receiver, Bluetooth, Ethernet, and will play 1080p content through its HDMI or...
HD & Home
HBO, AMC, ESPN missing from Google Fiber TV channel list (update: no Time Warner or Disney channels listed)
Google has just tentatively published the channels set to come to its Fiber TV service, and while it's a substantial list, there are a few prominent ones missing. AMC, HBO, and ESPN are currently not on the list, which includes about 160 names and is otherwise relatively comprehensive. Google does, however, note that this lineup is only a "representative" one, and that the actual list will be "published when customers register for service." Some of the channels may also require an extra fee,...
Nexus 7 bundled free with Google Fiber TV as default remote control
As part of Google's push to integrate TV and internet with Fiber, the company is bundling a free Google Nexus 7 tablet as the remote control. The $120 per month Fiber TV package will come with a Nexus 7, which can be used as a remote control as well as a media player in its own right. We imagine that households with multiple Nexus 7 tablets will be able to connect their existing ones as well. Google Fiber was already pretty exciting, and this is a great addition for anyone who's planning to...
Google redesigns the TV with Fiber TV: a new DVR, mobile apps, and voice search
Alongside its new super-fast internet in Kansas City, Google announced Fiber TV today, an entirely redesigned experience for how you watch TV. It's part-DVR part-cable box, with the ability to watch and record all the channels you expect, via Google's new network. Unfortunately, Fiber's listings don't currently include ESPN, AMC, and a few others, but we're hoping that changes soon. You'll be able to record 500 hours of TV, and can record a ridiculous eight shows all at once.
"You don't have...
Google Fiber launches in Kansas City, promises 1000 Mbps up and down
Google Fiber has finally arrived in Kansas City, offering crazy-fast broadband speeds and a new television service on both sides of the Kansas / Missouri state line. After hinting that it would be unveiled today, the company has made it official. Google is touting 1,000 Mbps download and upload speeds, positioning its service as "100 times faster" than traditional "broadband."
Google compared the growth in processing power and storage to internet speed, pointing out that the latter hasn't...
Google to reveal Fiber in Kansas City details on July 26th
Google's Kansas City Fiber project has been a long time coming, but it looks like the company is ready to announce some details about its mysterious project on July 26th, according to a quick post on the Google Fiber blog. While the company got approval to launch fiber-based video services in Kansas City (Missouri and Kansas) back in March, Google has been fairly coy about the details. However, the FCC tipped us off to a Google Fiber-branded set-top box, so we're not surprised to learn that...
Culture
Time Warner Cable paying Kansas City employees to spy on Google Fiber
What do you do when you're an entrenched oligopoly and another player steps into your market? If you're Time Warner Cable, you offer $50 gift cards to your Kansas City employees for information on the roll-out of Google Fiber, according to GigaOm. Time Warner has set up a phone hotline and an email address that will award three gift cards a week for employees that "[share] tips, rumors, and rumblings about Google Construction or launch activity..." Google's internet service will offer...
Google Fiber-branded set-top box shows up in FCC database
A new FCC filing has revealed an IP set-top box complete with a Google Fiber label. Called the GFHD100, the box was manufactured by Korean firm Humax — not Google subsidiary Motorola Mobility — and comes equipped with Wi-Fi, HDMI input and output, a USB port, an infrared sensor, and an ethernet port. Earlier this year Google announced plans to provide video programming over its Google Fiber broadband network, and in March it received approval to launch a service in both Kansas Citys —...
Google gets approval from Missouri regulators to launch video services in Kansas City
Google's cleared another hurdle in its quest to launch an at-home video service: regulators in Missouri have joined those in Kanasa in accepting Google's applications to provide video programming over the Google Fiber network the company is building out. According to the Kansas City Business Journal, Google's application was accepted by the Kansas Corporation Commission this past Friday; a report from the Kansas City Star earlier this month shows that the Missouri Public Service Commission...
Google Fiber enters application to offer television service in Kansas City
Residents of Kansas City (both the one in Missouri and in Kansas) are already pretty lucky — Google announced last year that the cities would be its testbed for an affordable new fiber internet service that offered speeds up to 1Gbps. Now it looks like Google's darling cities are going to be the spot for another new service as well: an at-home video service to compete with cable and satellite operators. According to The Wall Street Journal, the search giant has entered an application to the...
Google looks to build satellite farm in Iowa to receive high speed data
Google is looking to build an array of 4.5 meter wide satellite dishes in the town of Council Bluffs, Iowa. Company subsidiary Google Fiber — which recently announced plans to lay down fiber optic cable in Kansas City — has filed an FCC Public Notice seeking to build two earth stations in Council Bluffs, which would be used for "analog and digital audio, data, and video services." Each proposed station would be receive-only, with one covering C-band and the other Ku-band. While a small...
Google Fiber ready to start buildout in Kansas City
After all the excitement when Google chose Kansas City, Missouri and Kansas City, Kansas as its testbeds for a new fiber optic broadband internet service, the grand plans hit a snag due to some safety and money concerns. It looks like the dispute has been cleared up, however, as Google has announced that it is ready to start laying fiber today. While it's possible that the company will still follow through with its original plans to launch in Q1 2012, customers might have to wait a bit longer...
HD & Home
Kansas City Google Fiber tangled up in wiring dispute
Google's Fiber project in Kansas City (Kansas) has hit delays following a dispute over the placement of essential wiring. Google announced in March that it plans to bring high-speed fiber optic connections to Kansas City organizations, businesses, and universities. The Kansas City Star reports that the work has been delayed following concerns over safety and costs.
The Kansas City Board of Public Utilities (BPU) revealed that it still doesn't "have an approval of the agreement" between the...
