get in on google fiber in austin

Google Inc. is months away from collecting the data it'll need to determine which Austin neighborhoods get linked up to the super-fast Google Fiber Internet service.

The California-based company announced its ultra high-speed Internet plans in April but won’t begin soliciting information on what areas of the city have the strongest demand for the service until mid 2014, spokeswoman Jenna Wandres said when she was in Austin Thursday. Exactly how Google will measure demand here still isn't known.

That means those who hope to get hooked up with Google Fiber have plenty of time to round up neighbors so they can make their presence known when the time comes. It also means that the hundreds of thousands — if not millions — of dollars worth of contracting opportunities Google will need to pull off this project are months away. Companies of all types — from permit pushers to construction companies and of course techies — can expect a shot at the dollars.

Until then, Internet users are left with registering here for updates on the project. Through that site Google is indeed collecting ZIP codes, so that could prove to be the most helpful tool for the tech titan when the time to crunch data arrives.

The Google Fiber system will provide users with 1 gigabit speed, which is about 100 times faster than conventional networks.

Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) plans to offer three plans: gigabit-speed Internet plus TV, gigabit Internet and free Internet in which users pay a one-time installation fee. The system will be available to small businesses and institutions such as schools.

The installation schedule — along with the plan prices — still haven't been disclosed, Wandres said. There hasn't been a mention of Austin recently in Google Fiber's official blog.

In March 2011, Google selected Kansas City from 1,100 prospective cities for its pilot gigabit network. It’s now in 12 other communities in the Kansas City area, she said


Source: Original Post