(http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/04/googlefiberspace.jpg) (http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/09/google-fiber-rollout-detailed-for-austin-due-mid-2014/)
The Google Fiber (http://www.engadget.com/tag/GoogleFiber/) rollout for Austin has been spoiled (http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/05/google-fiber-austin-rumor/) twice (http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/08/google-fiber-is-officially-coming-to-austin-texas/), but today it's officially official: the music-centric city will become a gigabit city... eventually, that is. Google now says that it will start wiring Austinite homes for super-fast internet access by mid-2014 -- we wouldn't cancel that cable or DSL service just yet, sadly. At least the pricing should be familiar (http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/26/google-fiber-gets-formal-launch-adds-google-fiber-tv/). Google still plans to offer both stand-alone internet access and internet-plus-TV bundles, both at rates within the ballpark of what it offers for Kansas City, and there will still be a near-free 5Mbps plan that only requires a one-off construction fee. Institutions will get free gigabit access, of course. While we'd like Google Fiber as soon as possible, we're just happy to realize that our next SXSW (http://www.engadget.com/tag/SXSW/) crash pad may have a lot more bandwidth on tap.
Update: During a formal announcement call, Google and the city of Austin provided a few minor details. They revealed that Google didn't get any incentives to land a deal, and that engineering work is only beginning in earnest on April 10th. As for AT&T's me-too initiative (http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/09/att-1gbps-fiber-internet-austin-texas-official/)? Kevin Lo from Google Fiber says that it's "great" to see AT&T aware that the demand exists for gigabit access. No hard feelings, then.
Filed under: Networking (http://www.engadget.com/category/networking/), HD (http://www.engadget.com/category/hd/), Google (http://www.engadget.com/category/google/)
Comments (http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/09/google-fiber-rollout-detailed-for-austin-due-mid-2014/#comments)
Source: Google Fiber (http://googlefiberblog.blogspot.com/2013/04/google-fibers-next-stop-austin-texas_9.html)
Via: Engadget