Google has begun to connect US homes in Kansas City to ultra-fast broadband, offering residents speeds of up to 1Gbps (gigabit per second).The service has been first in the commercial usgae and has been launched in the area of Hanover Heights and users there have reported speeds of about 700Mbps.
The product poses a challenge to established cable companies which typically charge more money with slower connections.
Google says it hopes its package will persuade people to spend longer on the web and try out new services.Google Fiber Service Delivery director Alana Karen said the firm has been working in a few homes over the last few weeks to make sure it can deliver a enhanced experience
In a blog post, Google Fiber's director of service delivery Alana Karen promised a "great service" for residents in Kansas City – which straddles the border between the states of Kansas and Missouri.
The service offers Fibre to the Home (FTTH) and is delivered via overhead cables on the poles that also bring power to homes.
Most analysts agree that the service has been competitively priced. The gigabit service is being offered at $70 (£44) per month with no installation charge. This package also comes with 1TB (terabyte) of storage on Google Drive.Alternatively subscribers can opt for a broadband plus TV service at a price of $120 (£75).
The third option is to pay a one-off $300 (£189) installation fee in return for free broadband at speeds of 5Mbps.
Along with the new connection, Google will provide a Network Box, a Storage Box for Google TV subscribers, in addition to a Google Fiber TV box for each of the connected television (TV).Users will also receive a Nexus 7 tablet which acts as a remote control for the TV box.
Features offered
A free Nexus tablet
Every customer who signs up for Google Fiber with TV will get a free Google Nexus tablet to use as a remote. There is also speculation that with the subscription of Google's Internet one may be able to get a ChromeBook for a discounted price of $299.
DVR Box
Google Fiber TV also comes along with a DVR box that lets users record as many as eight channels simultaneously. There is also an on-board memory of 2TB to help store all data that one may want to save.
All your content in one place
Watch almost 200 HD channels and tens of thousands of shows and movies on-demand (including Netflix) – all in one place. So, you can search quickly for and access all of your favorite programs seamlessly.
A terabyte of cloud storage
A mind boggling 1 TeraByte of Google Drive storage.There will not be any lose of user data, even the uscomputer or mobile devices crashes, as the files are safely stored in Google Drive. Keep everything. Share anything. Google Drive is everywhere you are – on the web, in your home, at the office and on the go.
Crystal clear HD
A bigger pipe means less compression. Luckily, Google's ultra fast Fiber network has more than enough bandwidth to ensure you get HD in all its glory.
Fast and powerful Wi-Fi
Get up to 360Mbps throughput speed with 802.11a/b/g/n including 3×3 MIMO antennas and dual concurrent radios. Extend your access to Google Fiber all over your home with the integrated Wi-Fi Access Point and Ethernet port.
One Gbps either way
Google Fiber offers 1Gbps download and upload speeds. In a world where upload speeds are capped at rather ridiculous levels, that must be music to the ears of end users.
