Google Officially Announces Google Fiber in Austin

Just like in Kansas City, house prices where Google Fibre will be installed will very likely increase dramatically in the coming weeks, with many homes bought up by start-ups and real estate speculators renting them out at a premium price.

Just watch all the cable and phone operators make a mad scramble to sign everyone up for 2 year contracts.

That will be the real news.

While it does take time to install fiber, not connecting the first home until mid 2014 delivers a pretty strong message. Google has no desire at becoming a national provider. At least not in our lifetimes.

When my provider announced I would be getting fiber, I had it up to my house within a couple months. Granted it wasn't operating for several more months after that, but that was more because of winter setting in than anything else. Something tells me that won't be a big concern in Austin.

2014 in business terms is right around the corner.

Google specifically said today that they're still evaluating pricing for Austin. There will be a free + construction charge tier at 5 Mbps down, 1 Mbps up. But they haven't stated the construction charge, nor have they stated what the other two tiers' monthly prices will be.

I wouldn't expect pricing to be much different than KC, but it probably won't be the same, either.

They will need more than that. By the time Google Fiber starts getting connected those contracts will be half over. The majority probably won't even see Google Fiber for 2 years.

Spending a year to build the fiber infrastructure in a city from scratch doesn't sound all that unreasonable, and doesn't really give any indication of Google's future plans...

Mid 2014 is over a year away. To begin wiring a single city. There is nothing right around the corner about that. Typically companies don't announce projects a year in advance unless they want to please investors. I don't know of ANY investors who are pleased about Google Fiber.

To build it would be good. To begin building it, not so good. Sounds like they have very little planning done for the city if they are still evaluating pricing. Last I heard they didn't even have job postings listed yet.

There are a lot of things that have to happen between now and then. A year is not that far away.

I live in the "Gig City" and I've had access to 1Gb for some time. I have not seen my property value move in any direction because of the availability of Fiber.

When they announced KC in March 2011, they said some would be connected by end of year. The first public connection didn't occur til Nov 2012. Maybe with the experience they can get Austin going a little sooner but it took them a year just to lay down fiber around KC before starting the first connections.

It will be interesting to see the terms with City of Austin, if it's similar to the two KC's in terms of relationship with utilities. And will Google do the pre-signup like in KC, which determined rollout order. They might actually be able to deploy faster if Google defines the rollout hoods themselves than play the signup game. It was clear in KC that the higher income areas signed up first, whether logistically easier to start with or not. In Austin, Google could define order by areas that have least path of resistance to deploy - might be faster deployment while giving more time to plan the more difficult hoods.

I don't see how people don't find it ridiculous that it took that long in Kansas City. Especially when the majority of your deployment is aerial and you have been given the regulatory green light to do pretty much whatever you want.

Out of curiosity, any idea if the properties without access to the fiber have seen a decrease in property value?

How many investors do you know?

Successfully getting around the city bureaucracy, build the first phase, AND connect new customers in a year? That would be a miracle!

How long has Montreal discussed a dedicated rail link between downtown and the airport? or plans to replace the Turcot interchange? Or build new metro cars? Or build a new super hospital? These are all plans that have been discussed for over A DECADE before they even got started!

If Google can get the first phase of a project like this completed within a year, and void being corrupted by both the politicians and organized crime (often the same individuals), then I say Google for Mayor!

I'd be happy to have the 5 Mbps plan FREE FOR LIFE! after the installation charge. That is exactly what I want. I have NO need for anything faster than that yet my cable company refuses to offer plans that are any slower than 30 MBps.

att just announced 1 gig service in Austin also.

the bomb just dropped... Austin might end up being one of the most wired cities in the country (if this is real)

»www.engadget.com/2013/04 ··· fficial/

»www.engadget.com/2013/04 ··· fficial/

I do not think one will find an investor period that is pleased about any kind of fiber.

Not when they can invest in companies that make huge profits off wireless with 2gb caps and huge overage fees.

It's not making a difference one way or another. I think the only thing that may matter is if you can get "high speed" from someone. In most parts of Chattanooga you can choose from at&t, Comcast, and EPB. I would say at least 99% of homes have access to at least Comcast and EPB. at&t has a pretty large DSL foot print though there are parts of town with access to 1.5 - 3Mb. uVerse is available here but I have no idea what the foot print is nor do I know anyone who has uVerse.

Well, that would do it.

well according to Karl it's all just careful wording on AT&T's part and we shouldn't believe that AT&T will do anything more than build out their wireless.

So Austin's only hope is google... hah

I have to agree with him. But it would be entertaining if At&T did. That would force the cable companies in Austin to also build out faster speeds.

Not really. They just said they're "prepared to" build something with speeds "up to" 1 gig.

quote:

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Today, AT&T announced that in conjunction with its previously announced Project VIP expansion of broadband access, it is prepared to build an advanced fiber optic infrastructure in Austin, Texas, capable of delivering speeds up to 1 gigabit per second.

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»www.prnewswire.com/news- ··· 751.html

Austin is a research/tech town, KC is a telcom/engineering/entrepreneurial town. KC is one of few cities to get a VZ 100Gbit longhaul link but it's to Minneapolis. If KC and Austin could get this link (300Gbit upgrade coming), it would be interesting to see what could be done between the two cities from consumer to consumer level between the cities on a mass scale. Combine UT research with KC's Kauffman Institute (entrepreneurial/innovation programs) and it could be greater than sum of parts. Might be whimsical thoughts but could drive a new economy not yet thought of.

Total BS. If this was the case many other areas would see this without property values going down. And you do realize that in a majority of the US- it is illegal to operate a business from a home- especially knowingly purchasing or renting the home in a residential area for the purpose of a business. Zoning laws will catch up to people doing this and it's not worth it- especially when neighbors call and complain about traffic and the amount of cars being parked on the streets, etc.

Just curious, how much is their Gig service there?