Is the Google Fiber ready to make an entry to the US Market?

Google is literally everywhere. Its search engine runs our queries, its technology runs our devices and its doodles make us smile and make us think. The latest offering from the company is Google Fiber. This is a super speed internet connection that uses fiber-optics and that claims to be 100 times faster than almost all other players in the market. This means no more waiting- for videos to buffer, for movies to download, for games to be set up so you can finally play.

You can choose a free internet connection, a 1 Gbps connection for a $70 per month fee or you can opt for an internet-TV option for a monthly fee of $120. So what we’re looking at is free internet at 5 Mbps, paid internet at 1 Gbps and a TV and internet plan that offers you 1 Gbps speed. The TV version also comes with a DVR that can record up to 8 shows at the same time.

Google Fiber

Google will deploy this internet infrastructure in communities, based on an application process. The two locations already in the fold are Kansas City, Kansas and Kansas City, Missouri. There is so much buzz surrounding Google Fiber that towns have tried all sorts of ways to get the company’s attention, including changing the names of cities and islands temporarily to ‘Google’, changing lyrics of songs to sound like Google products and creating massive formations using its citizens. There are also tons of YouTube videos asking Google to consider places, some of which have the town’s mayor acting in them!

As this blog is written, there are only 40 odd days to go for registration and of course there’s a mad rush for this great service. If you live in either Kansas City, all you need is to register and enjoy all the benefits. This brings us to the question of whether Google Fiber is ready to hit the big time.

Well, let’s look at the good points. There’s that amazing internet speed to begin with. You will also be happy to note that it comes with unlimited bandwidth for even more speed. And it gets sweeter when Google throws in the super cool Nexus 7 tablet that doubles up as an independent device for all your media or as a remote control. What’s more, at about $300, you get the Chromebook too! The DVR has enough storage for up to 500 hours of video, and this is in high-definition media.

On the downside is all the waiting. We have no way of knowing when we will see Fiber in all its glory. Also, for all your sports fans, there’s bad news in that the TV option does not come with ESPN.  Besides, there’s something a tad unnerving that Google, which is already so pervasive in our lives, will now know even more. Its privacy policy is dodgy, to put it mildly, and now users give it even more access to their lives.

Despite the concerns, we can believe, given Google’s track record that Google Fiber can meet and even surpass user expectations. This will be something worth waiting for.

This is a guest post by Mark Bennett of workwelltogether.com, a site that offers savings and current information on comcast bundles, as well as Comcast services. Use the comment box below to tell me what you think about this post. Don’t forget to share this post with your friends. Please Subscribe to NetMediaBlog Feeds by Email so you can be getting more of my posts on your email even when you are offline.