Josh Hendrickson
When is fast internet fast enough? Never, realistically and Google Fiber knows it. That’s why the company is preparing to unveil 2 Gbps speeds for $100 a month. Just $30 more than the current 1 Gbps offering. That’s internet fast enough to download a 15 GB Blu-ray quality movie in about a minute.
Naturally, with any new internet speed, the devil is in the details. Firstly, Google Fiber only exists in 15 cities right now; everyone else is out of luck. And unlike most fiber-optic offerings, your upload speeds won’t match your download speeds. You’ll be limited to a “mere” 1 Gbps upload (the horror).
For now, Google is trialing the service in just two cities, Nashville, Tennessee and Huntsville, Alabama. But if that’s you, and you don’t mind spending $100 a month for the fastest internet around, you get a lot for your dollars.
The service will include new Wi-Fi 6 routers, for instance, to ensure you can take advantage of the full 2 Gbps speed (or as close as Wi-Fi can get you). You’ll also get a mesh extender to ensure good solid coverage throughout your home.
But, you’ll also need devices that support 2 Gbps speeds, and whether you’re talking Wi-Fi or ethernet connected, that’s a small list currently. Still, even if you can’t reach the full mighty glory of 2 Gbps, you’ll likely benefit from a higher overhead working for you.
You’ll need to be in Nashville or Huntsville and join Google’s Trusted Tester program to get started. If you’re in another Google Fiber city, you can sign up to join as soon as 2 Gbps speeds come to your area.
Source: Google
