Google Announces Fiber Expansion

Google Fiber is still only available in the three cities where the gigabit-Internet service is being piloted, but that may soon change as Google has announced plans to expand the program to a number of new locations.

The company says it has invited 34 cities in nine metro areas to explore bringing Google Fiber to their communities. The proposed locations include Atlanta, Phoenix and Portland.

“Over the last few years, gigabit Internet has moved from idea to reality, with dozens of communities working hard to build networks with speeds 100 times faster than what most of us live with today. People are hungrier than ever for faster Internet, and as a result, cities across America are making speed a priority,” the company wrote in a Google Blog post. “Hundreds of mayors from across the U.S. have stated that abundant high-speed Internet access is essential for sparking innovation, driving economic growth and improving education.”

Between growing demand for high-speed Internet access and Google’s success in recent years with existing Fiber projects, the company said it was eager to expand the program.

“We've long believed that the Internet’s next chapter will be built on gigabit speeds, so it’s fantastic to see this momentum. And now that we’ve learned a lot from our Google Fiber projects in Kansas City, Austin and Provo, we want to help build more ultra-fast networks,” Google said.

Google says that while it hopes to bring Fiber to each of the 34 proposed locations, not every city may prove to be suitable for the program. Throughout the rest of the year, Google will work with city leaders and conduct extensive surveys to determine the feasibility of a Fiber network, as well as identify unique local challenges. The company hopes that by the end of 2014, it will be able to provide an update on which cities plan to move forward with the program.