Greg's Corner

Is Google Fiber coming to your home?

If you’ve never heard of Google Fiber, it’s Google’s internet service that is supposed to be the fastest in the U.S. It’s only been rolled out to select cities like Austin, Texas, and Kansas City, Missouri. One of the good things about Google Fiber is not only does it give consumers another choice for internet service, but it also causes the established ISPs to step up their game. This usually can mean a drop in price and higher speeds from the entrenched ISPs.

Recently, Google bought a company called Webpass. Webpass was an internet service provider that would use a type of wireless signal to beam internet to apartment buildings. The only cable they’d have to install would be the ones from the rooftop receiver to the apartments in the building.

Now, Google has plans to combine the two technologies to provide internet to a wider consumer base. This plan could accelerate Google’s plan to bring its Fiber coverage to the country at large. Since it launched Google Fiber has been relatively slow to roll out, only covering a handful of cities. This is great news for consumers as it may cause companies like AT&T, Comcast, Cox, and Verizon to improve their services and it would also threaten the duopolies or in some cases monopolies that ISPs have in some communities.