Google Fiber Targets Austin, TX
Google, as part of its campaign to crank up broadband speeds, aims to start connecting Austinites by mid-2014 to an all-fiber network that will provide super-fast Internet and TV.
Austin, Tex., is the second market for Google Fiber, after the company began connecting customers in Kansas City, Mo., and Kansas City, Kan., late last year.
“We believe the Internet’s next chapter will be built on gigabit speeds, and we hope this new Google Fiber city will inspire communities across America to think about what ultrafast connectivity could mean for them,†Google Fiber veep Milo Medin said in a blog post Tuesday.
But some analysts question whether Google’s fiber plans will have any broader effect on the business and regulatory environment for high-speed Internet. “We remain skeptical that Google will find a scalable and economically feasible model to extend its buildout to a large portion of the U.S., as costs would be substantial, regulatory and competitive barriers material,†Sanford Bernstein senior analyst Carlos Kirjner wrote in a research note last week.
