Google Fiber announces plans for 5-Gbps and 8-Gbps broadband plans
Google Fiber is looking for a few good testers to help work the kinks out of a pair of new multi-gigabit broadband services the company plans to offer early next year. The symmetrical 5-Gbps and 8-Gbps broadband tiers will be available for testing in Utah, Kansas City, West Des Moines, IA, next month.
Amalia O’Sullivan, director of product management at Google Fiber, wrote in a recent blog post that the services will come with a WiFi 6 router (unless the customer uses their own), up to two mesh extenders, and installation. The 5-Gbps service will cost $125/month and the 8-Gbps service $150/month.
Google Fiber has offered a 2-gig service since 2020 (see "Google Fiber offers 2-Gbps broadband services in multiple markets"). O’Sullivan wrote that while the 2-Gbps service was targeted at gamers the 5-Gbps and 8-Gbps services will appeal to “even heavier internet users — creative professionals, people working in the cloud or with large data, households with large shared internet demands.
“For those who work on the cloud or in real time, like with financial transactions, it’s helpful to know there’s less lag between pushing send and making something happen,” O’Sullivan added. Nevertheless, she said that discovering what the testers do with the enhanced speeds will be a part of the trials.
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Stephen Hardy | Editorial Director and Associate Publisher, Lightwave
Stephen Hardy is editorial director and associate publisher of Lightwave and Broadband Technology Report, part of the Lighting & Technology Group at Endeavor Business Media. Stephen is responsible for establishing and executing editorial strategy across the both brands’ websites, email newsletters, events, and other information products. He has covered the fiber-optics space for more than 20 years, and communications and technology for more than 35 years. During his tenure, Lightwave has received awards from Folio: and the American Society of Business Press Editors (ASBPE) for editorial excellence. Prior to joining Lightwave in 1997, Stephen worked for Telecommunications magazine and the Journal of Electronic Defense.
Stephen has moderated panels at numerous events, including the Optica Executive Forum, ECOC, and SCTE Cable-Tec Expo. He also is program director for the Lightwave Innovation Reviews and the Diamond Technology Reviews.
He has written numerous articles in all aspects of optical communications and fiber-optic networks, including fiber to the home (FTTH), PON, optical components, DWDM, fiber cables, packet optical transport, optical transceivers, lasers, fiber optic testing, and more.
You can connect with Stephen on LinkedIn as well as Twitter.