Google is teasing the dramatic expansion of its Fiber internet service over the coming months. Not only is GFiber coming to more places than ever before, it will start making multi-gig speeds widely available and accessible. How fast? In a blog post Google Fiber CEO Dinni Jain dropped a big hint – Google has been testing >20 Gbps fiber internet speeds at the home of one of its execs in Kansas.
Google Fiber currently has a simple but attractive pricing plan for customers within its service areas. People can choose a 1 Gbps service for $70, or upgrade to 2 Gbps download speeds for $100. Appealingly, both services offer 1 Gbps uploads – great for remote working and content creators. Moreover, Google provides mesh Wi-Fi networking as standard so service should be usable throughout your residence without extra equipment, and thankfully Google has no such thing as a data cap.
Going forward, Google wants to make significant steps beyond the 2 Gbps package it introduced in 2021, while rival providers in the US are already offering 2, 5, 8, even 10 Gbps products. However, GFiber says it is assuredly making gains on its stated path to 100 Gbps symmetrical internet provision.
In the above screenshot from a network analysis tool, you can see GFiber speeds at beyond 20 Gbps. This speedy fiber service was tested at the home of Nick Saporito, the company’s Head of Commercial Strategy. The dial on the left shows the test connection achieving 20.20 Gbps throughput.
You may well be excited by the fiber speeds being tested, but other parts of your brain will likely be fearful of potential pricing, and be pessimistic about availability. GFiber’s CEO says he knows raw speed isn’t enough. A compelling fiber product must also deliver on “pricing, value, simplicity and reliability.” Jain adds that even as promised download speeds ramp up, GFiber is going to keep the pressure on accessible pricing and provision of symmetrical up/down speeds. Furthermore, the GFiber product will be enhanced so that the best speeds are available throughout your home.
Google promises the next big step in fiber speeds is “just around the corner.” So speed hungry folk in GFiber areas should keep an eye on any emailed upgrade offers, the Google Fiber blog, and of course here for any breaking news.
