Google Fiber

• Incredibly Fast Speeds
• Free Standard Internet
• Several Upgrade Options

Incredibly Fast Speeds

Google Fiber provides internet, television, and phone services through a network of fiber-optic cables. A system which, according to Google, delivers internet speeds that are more than 100 times faster than what most internet service providers can offer.

Creating a fiber-optic network was a time-consuming process. Before a new city could be considered eligible for Google Fiber internet services, company representatives would meet with city officials to review the city's infrastructure, roads, and utility paths. If the city was a good fit, Google Fiber's team would create a network design, often involving thousands of miles of fiber-optic cables, that was compatible with the city's existing utility map.

Free Standard Internet

After the network is installed, Google Fiber reaches out to small, concentrated communities (or "Fiberhoods") in the city to promote its services. Each new Fiber customer is offered a free standard internet plan, which includes 5 Mbps download speed and 1 Mbps upload speed.

While speeds on the free plan are not faster than those offered by other internet service providers, they are free, which is almost unheard of in this industry. After signing up, Fiber customers are guaranteed at least seven years of free internet at one address.

Several Upgrade Options

In addition to Google Fiber's free plan, customers have the option to pay for upgraded plans, including gigabit internet, for both residences and small businesses.

Here are the residential plans:

• Fiber 100 — $50 per month
• Fiber 1,000 — $70 per month
• Fiber 1,000 + Local TV — $95 per month, 15+ channels
• Fiber 100 + TV — $140 per month, 150+ channels
• Fiber 1,000 + TV — $160 per month, 150+ channels

The small business packages are even more straightforward:

• Fiber Business 100 — $70 per month
• Fiber Business 250 — $100 per month
• Fiber Business 1,000 — $250 per month

Customers can sometimes add phone services for an additional $10 per month, as well as Nest products — thermostats, smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, and security cameras — for an additional charge (only available on paid plans).

• Limited Availability
• Lengthy Installation Time
• Slow Speeds with Free Service

Limited Availability

Gaining access to Google Fiber internet service in your area can prove challenging. According to Google Fiber's site, here are the eleven cities and regions that have access to Fiber's full high speed internet service:

• Atlanta, Georgia
• Austin, Texas
• Charlotte, North Carolina
• Huntsville, Alabama
• Kansas City, Missouri
• Nashville, Tennessee
• Orange County, California
• Provo, Utah
• San Antonio, Texas
• Salt Lake City, Utah
• The Triangle, North Carolina

And here are the seven cities where only apartment and condo service is available:

• Chicago, Illinois
• Denver, Colorado
• Miami, Florida
• Oakland, California
• San Diego, California
• San Francisco, California
• Seattle, Washington

One way to determine if you're eligible is to enter your address into the Check Eligibility section of Google Fiber's website. Unfortunately, customers in rural areas and less populated regions will likely never have access to Google Fiber service.

Lengthy Installation Time

Many customers complained that high speed internet installation was a lengthy process. As mentioned before, this process involved installing a fiber network comprised of thousands of miles of fiber optic cable, and fully optimizing a city for Google Fiber took several months, if not years.

Since Google Fiber is already fixed and installed in its select locations, and cancelled in remaining locations, negative reviews regarding infrastructural installation time probably won't apply to you.

Slow Speeds with Free Service

It's also important to note that, while Google Fiber is one of the only service providers to offer a basic internet package for free. Per a third-party speed test, the internet speeds accompanying the free package and network box are no better than the standard internet speed of any other provider. The limited bandwidth of the free plan can be easily overwhelmed by multiple devices such as computers, smartphones, and tablets.

Some negative reviews describe the free plan and complain of slow and unreliable upload and download speed; keep in mind that these experiences may be the fault of the reviewer for selecting a free plan if they had an option to purchase a package.

If this internet provider is available in your area and you opt for the free plan, don't expect amazingly fast internet.