Dennis Kish, vice president, Google Fiber, said Google’s fiber-optic network will be expanded to 18 cities across four new metro areas: Atlanta, Charlotte, Nashville and Raleigh-Durham.

Google Fiber promises to offer gigabit Internet, with speeds up to 100 times faster than today’s basic broadband.

Google Fiber is already live in Kansas City, Provo and Austin.

The company said gigabit internet is sparking innovation.

“Check out the Kansas City Startup Village and Provo learn-how-to-code hub DevMountain. Take a look at the work of a geneticist whose speedy connection could one day help newborns in intensive care, or how one city’s network is connecting a high school classroom to an underwater microscope so students can study oceanic life in the Pacific from Chattanooga, Tenn,” said Dennis Kish in a Google blog post.

“Our next step is to work with cities to create a detailed map of where we can put our fiber, using existing infrastructure such as utility poles and underground conduit, and making sure to avoid things like gas and water lines. After designing the network, we’ll start construction,” Kish added.

We’re also continuing to explore bringing fiber to five additional metro areas—Phoenix, Portland, Salt Lake City, San Antonio and San Jose, and will have updates on these potential Fiber cities later this year.

Recently, American President Barack Obama demanded faster networks so that innovators and entrepreneurs can build the next big idea.

Google is hoping the rivals will prod existing Internet service providers such as Comcast, Verizon Communications and AT&T to upgrade their networks and run at faster speeds.

In the two Kansas City markets, Google Fiber charges about $70 per month for high-speed Internet service, or $120 for an Internet and TV package.

Image source: Google

Baburajan K
[email protected]