Google Fiber Optic Broadband Comes to Kansas City

In November 2012, some homes in Kansas City were hooked up with Google Fiber, a new broadband Internet access that is 100 times faster than the current national average.  The whole city will be acting as a research and development lab for the next few years, and these homes will be the first to test the new technology to make sure everything works as well as hoped.

Customers can choose between three services: super-fast 1 gigabit (1,000 megabytes)-per-second Internet access for $70 per month, Google Fiber TV and Internet for $120 a month, and 5 gigabit-per- second Internet for free with a $300 installation fee.  Those who select television service will be given a $200 Nexus 7 tablet, an Android device that will act as the TV remote.  Viewers will see icons displaying the shows available, and then can tap the screen to make their selection.  The HD TV box will provide Netflix and YouTube video streaming. In addition, it will allow users to record up to 8 shows simultaneously with two terabytes of storage. Viewers can choose from 200 HD channels as well as hundreds of thousands of on-demand shows.

On the Internet, users will enjoy faster-than-ever web surfing, and be able to download movies in minutes. As an added bonus, Google has promised users limitless storage in the cloud so they will not lose any data if their home devices fail.

When the initial testing is over, Google will begin installing fiber along the streets of those Kansas City neighborhoods that had preregistered enough customers by September 9, 2012.  Due to the cost of installation, neighborhoods will receive the fiber-optic network in order according to density of homes requesting to receive service.

Customers in the Hanover Heights district will be the first of 180  Kansas City “fiberhoods.”  Google has advised them that they will soon see Google’s network box on the side of their houses along with notes on their doors telling them when to expect a technician to come by and hook up their new devices inside.  Areas in both Kansas City, Kansas and Kansas City, Missouri have been notified that they are soon to follow.

Kansas Citizens have been told that the installation will not bring many new jobs, though.  Enough trained technicians will be brought in to handle the house-to-house work and the rest of the process can be completed remotely.  However, Kansas City officials have signed a 10-year contract with Google.  Google will be granted rights-of-way and permission to trench on city property, including streets, terraces and sidewalks.   The contract states that the city recognizes Google Fiber as “an important development tool” that will enhance “the quality of life of its citizens through improvements to important infrastructure.”  Some residents hope that even if Google isn’t hiring, the cutting-edge technology will attract new businesses to the area.

If everything goes as planned in Kansas City, Google hopes to expand this broadband service across the nation.  So far they have not revealed what city is next on their list.

Mary Watford is evaluating the new 1gbps super-fast broadband that was introduced into Kansas City in 2012 to find out if it stands up to a stringent broadband speed test regime.