Google has launched a sparkling new product called Google Fiber, a high-speed broadband service that delivers transfer rates of a near-instantaneous 1,000 megabits per second. Simultaneously, the company announced Google Fiber TV, its first entrant into the plodding and oftentimes frustrating world of cable television. The service will debut in Kansas City, Mo., where Google is investing $500 million to build a fiber-optic network, and may eventually roll out to other cities based on user demand. Lucky residents will be able to watch HD television not just on their TVs but also on their computers, tablets, and phones. They'll also be able to record up to eight programs at once using 1 terabyte of free cloud storage. Google is offering several package deals, but clients can get both broadband and TV service together for $120 a month while receiving a free Nexus 7 tablet to use as the media center's controller. Should longtime providers like Comcast and Verizon be worried by Google's thunderous foray into the cable business?
Yes. Fiber could change the game: "The distance between Google Fiber and its competitors is comical," says Kyle Wagner at Gizmodo. Consider this: The top speed Verizon FiOS provides — 300 megabits per second — is three times slower than Google Fiber's. And the high-def TV package will have all broadcast networks as well as hundreds of so-called "Fiber channels." Add in the fact that the search giant is willing to waive the $300 installation fee for new customers, and competitors should be "scared" enough to "put out bounties for on-the-ground information about Google Fiber."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
