Austin is getting Google Fiber, a local Austin TV station now has reported. April 9, 2013 is the day we will know for sure.
Google Fiber now offers users in Kansas City, Kan. and Kansas City, Mo. symmetrical 1 Gbps fiber connections for $70 a month, or symmetrical 1 Gbps fiber connections and a full array of television content for $120 a month.
Users in targeted neighborhoods also have the option of paying a $300 up front fee to have their home connected, then getting free 5 Mbps service. Google has a multiple-year time limit on the “free service” offer, but most think the offer will be extended indefinitely.
As always, there are a couple of big questions. People wonder whether Google Fiber actually is a sustainable venture, long term, or only a marketing investment. The other question is whether Google might decide to become an ISP on a wider basis.
Given the capital investment required to build a national network, most observers probably are persuaded Google would not do so. On the other hand, the cost of becoming a national mobile service provider are much less, and that probably is a more realistic “danger” for existing ISPs.
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