Google Fiber Forces Broadband Companies To Compete

Google Fiber is preparing to launch in several new cities in North Carolina, Georgia and Utah in the next year, something that has shaken the traditional internet service providers to actually compete.

It must be an odd feeling for companies like Comcast and Time Warner Cable, who for the past decade have set oligopolies up to make sure competition in the American broadband market does not exist.

Sadly, Google Fiber has no interest in backroom deals. It is focused on bringing 1Gbps internet to millions of Americans, and is forcing broadband companies to fight tooth and nail for every customer—most of whom have already declared loyalty to Google Fiber.

In Atlanta, Comcast just announced it will launch 2Gbps speeds to customers through a high-tier package. It also plans to launch 1Gbps speeds nationwide, how convenient given the current uprise of Google Fiber construction cities.

It is still unclear whether the 2Gbps package will have any tacked on installation fees or massive monthly costs, knowing Comcast we are going to guess it will be out of the budget for many customers.

Comcast is not the only broadband provided feeling threatened, AT&T announced 1Gbps coming to Austin, Texas later this year, coinciding with Google Fiber’s launch in the city.

Time Warner Cable also announced customers in Charlotte, North Carolina will be receiving six times the current broadband speed on all packages, from 15Mbps to 50Mbps, in the next few months. That’s not exactly 1Gbps, but it is TWC’s attempt at customer loyalty.

Verizon and Cablevision have both announced nothing on the speed increase side, although they are both not available in the cities Google Fiber is planning to launch. Cox Communications announced it will double broadband speeds for customers nationwide by 2016, with 1Gbps options coming to some cities.

It is a great time for Americans, but in most cities there are still major issues with speeds and price. Google Fiber can only reach so many households, but with the net neutrality law coming into effect later this year we might see a surge in fiber movements by Google, as the utility rights grant them more freedom to construct and utilise older infrastructure.

Let’s not be naive here, Google is not the great guy that provides internet with no long term goal. Google wants as many users on the internet as possible without data caps or massive expenses, in order to have more users on Google services, and in turn more ads viewed.