Google's unbelievably fast new 1000Mbps fiber is finally live in Kansas City today.
The service has no bandwidth cap, no overage fees, and it'll come with 1TB (!!)
of free cloud storage.
In addition to the blazing broader
than broadband internet, Google's also got a new TV service called Google Fiber Television. The service is a lot like Google TV, but
cleaner, and it can record up to 500 hours of HD programs. There will be remote
apps for iOS and Android, both of which will have voice control, and at some
point they'll get video streaming as well. The TV package will have all
broadcast networks, along with hundreds of "Fiber channels".
Oh, and the default remote? A
Nexus 7. Which you get for free when you sign up for a TV package.
There is a $300 construction fee
for installing the fiber at your house, though. But Google is waiving that fee
for new customers at the start. The internet and TV package, along with the 1TB
of storage, is $120 per month. An internet-only package, with the 1TB, is $70
per month. And if you decide to pay the construction fee, you can also choose a
FREE 5Mbps down 1Mbps up internet package.
We've known that Google might have something like Google Fiber Television in the works. Now that it's a reality,
it's a clear shot across the bow of everyone else trying to crack the TV
equation. Google has turned itself into a cable provider; Roku got gobbled up
by a content creator and distributer; and Apple is looming over everything.
The distance between Google Fiber and its competitors is
comical. While yes, Google Fiber is only in Kansas City for now, the closest
you can get to it commercially is Verizon's 300Mbps connection over FiOS, which can reach that
speed, but more often comes in well below. And that's more than three times
slower than the gigabit connection Google just birthed.
That kind of scope and performance has had competitors running
scared enough toput out bounties for
on-the-ground information about Google Fiber. [Google Fiber,Verge, Engadget]
No comments:
Post a Comment