Google Fiber Blog

Google Fiber Community Impact Report

Thursday, March 23, 2017

here

Over 1 million people reached through the work of Digital Inclusion Fellows

206,000 Children and families served by STEM-focused programs supported by Google Fiber

115,000 Hours of digital literacy training

More than 1,910 Families living in public housing with access to no-cost Gigabit Internet

Over 200 Nonprofit partners and community organizations with free Gigabit Internet through our Community Connections program

Posted by Tia Bethea, Community Impact Manager, The Triangle

Access’ Next Steps with Citizens Broadband Radio Service

Friday, February 24, 2017

Posted by Mathew Varghese, Product Lead for Mobility

Webpass goes Mile High with the last mile

Wednesday, February 22, 2017

Webpass Denver launch team

herePosted by Charles Barr, founder, Webpass

Google Fiber arrives in Raleigh: announcing customer signups and our new Fiber Space

Wednesday, February 01, 2017

Just five months after launching in Morrisville, today Google Fiber is accepting sign-ups for residents and businesses in the North Hills, midtown area of Raleigh. Those who sign up will have the opportunity to join the many Morrisville residents now using Google Fiber. If you live in the broader Triangle, check your address and be among the first to know where we go next, at fiber.google.com/triangle.

Google Fiber installation van, Raleigh skyline. Van art by Adam Dixon; photographed by Stephen Sugg

We’re also happy to announce the grand opening of our brand new Raleigh Fiber Space, in the historic 518 West Jones building in Glenwood South. Come step inside and take Google Fiber’s superfast Gigabit Internet and TV for a spin. Our first community event takes place this week during Raleigh First Friday. In celebration of our local artist community and to kick off Black History Month, we are unveiling the latest addition to Raleigh’s mural scene, created by Victor Knight, III, as well as some of his other works. Providing beats for the evening will be local legend, 9th Wonder. We hope you can join us!

Grand opening of the Google Fiber Space in Raleigh. Photographed by Aaron Lindberg

Finally, we’re continuing our work in the community to help those most impacted by the digital divide. We’re thrilled to share today that we’re preparing to serve our first Gigabit Communities property at The Oaks in the coming months. Gigabit Communities is a Google Fiber program that brings free gigabit Internet to residents in select public and low-income housing properties. We know that digital literacy is an important component of any inclusion program, so we’ve been working closely with nonprofits across the Triangle, including Code the Dream, The Forge Institute and ThinkHouse, and to support digital inclusion fellows at the Kramden Institute and the Triangle Literacy Council.

Raleigh residents in North Hills, midtown will be able to sign up for one of the following plans:

See https://fiber.google.com/cities/triangle/plans for more information

Eligible small businesses can sign up for one of three business offerings.

Our teams remain hard at work building one of the largest infrastructure projects in Triangle history and we can’t wait for even more customers in the Triangle to give Fiber a try. You can track our construction progress on our website: fiber.google.com/triangle. And if you live in an apartment building, while you’re there you can check out our Apartment Finder to see if your building is on track to get Fiber soon.

Happy surfing!

Posted by Erik Garr, Southeast Regional Manager, Google Fiber

Note for reporters: download our press kit at www.google.com/fiber/trianglepresskit.

More places to grab gigabit, with Webpass

Monday, January 30, 2017

Google Fiber map

Since we announced that Webpass is part of the Google Fiber family last year, we’ve been working together in the cities both Webpass and Google Fiber share: Chicago, San Diego and San Francisco. Webpass has been offering superfast Internet service — up to a gigabit per second — in these cities for some time, and has the full support of Google Fiber to continue doing so going forward.

Customers in six metro areas — now marked by a green pin — may be eligible to use Webpass if their building has at least 10 units, and is wired with Ethernet cabling. Copper Ethernet wiring can allow for blazing gigabit speeds, making them an affordable alternative for building owners to install vs. coaxial cable or even fiber. Check with your landlord or property manager to see if you’re eligible to get up and surf with Webpass today.

Posted by Dennis Kish, President, Google Fiber

Introducing the updated Fiber TV App

Tuesday, November 15, 2016

Catch up on your favorite shows. You’ll now find the next episodes from your favorite shows waiting for you as soon as you open the Fiber TV app. With one tap you can begin watching.

Don’t miss the game. See what sports are happening right now, or are scheduled for later, then record them to your DVR with one tap. And you can set up your recordings no matter where you are, even when you’re out with friends.

Find recommendations for what to watch. View personalized recommendations for live TV. That means you’ll know to check out that Fresh Prince of Bel Air marathon or a new show you might enjoy, like Designated Survivor.

Get to your recordings quickly. The app now recommends recordings on your DVR to watch next as soon as you open it, so you can save time getting to the entertainment you love.

Play Store for AndroidApp store for iPhones and iPads Posted by Jared Nusinoff, Product Manager, Google Fiber

Advancing our amazing bet

Tuesday, October 25, 2016

potential Fiber cities
Posted by Craig Barratt, SVP, Alphabet and CEO of Access

Welcome, Webpass to the Google Fiber family!

Monday, October 03, 2016

Juneboot-strapped startup

Current Webpass markets in the U.S.

In addition, Webpass is known for their successful track record lighting up new buildings with super fast Internet service very quickly — sometimes within a month or less once building access agreements are in place. This speed of deployment is possible in part because Webpass manages its own network, which also has the benefit of higher service availability, automatic upgrades for service that gets better over time, and bandwidths of up to 1 gigabit per second.

Of course, at Google Fiber we’re particularly excited about Webpass’ application of point-to-point wireless deployment methodology. As we’ve said, our strategy going forward will be a hybrid approach with wireless playing an integral part. Webpass has proven that point-to-point wireless is a reliable way to connect more people to high-speed Internet in a densely populated environment, by setting up wireless transmission links between buildings. Residents simply plug their device or router into the data jack Webpass installs in their unit, and they’re good to go, browsing with speeds reaching up to a Gig.

Going forward, Webpass will continue to grow and scale their business with point-to-point wireless technology, including expanding into new cities. And for our part, Google Fiber will continue to build out our portfolio of wireless and fiber technologies, to bring super fast Internet to more people, faster. In the meantime, there will be no changes for current Webpass or Google Fiber customers, who will continue to get the same great services they love.

We’re so excited to be working with the Webpass team, who have truly been pioneers in providing super fast, super simple Internet to people who demand choice. Together, the combination of Google Fiber technology with Webpass’ great team and operations will result in more choice and better access for many more people.

Posted by Dennis Kish, President, Google Fiber

A new look and feel for Fiber TV

Wednesday, September 14, 2016

TV’s never been better. With so much great entertainment to choose from, it’s more important than ever to quickly find, record, and watch the shows and movies you love. That’s why we’re introducing the biggest update to Fiber TV since we launched in 2012.

Screen Shot 2016-09-14 at 8.35.08 AM.png

A new look and feel

It can be tough to find the shows and movies you love—or discover new ones. So we redesigned Fiber TV’s interface to make it easier to recognize the shows you’re looking for. We added helpful information like Rotten Tomatoes ratings to the program description. And we reorganized the DVR to make it easier to navigate your recordings.
Screen Shot 2016-09-14 at 8.35.18 AM.png

Screen Shot 2016-09-14 at 8.35.18 AM.png

Recommendations & Smart Search

Fiber TV is also introducing personalized recommendations for movies and TV shows you might like. So if you regularly watch The Walking Dead on AMC, it might suggest a show you haven’t seen, like American Horror Story on FX. And with improved Smart Search, you can quickly find what you love on TV and On Demand. Search by title, keyword, or even an actor’s name or sports team.

The TV you love. On Fiber.

We’re always looking for new ways to make Fiber TV even better. Earlier this year Google Cast™ was added to Fiber TV, for one touch casting from your phone, tablet or laptop, and there’s still so much more to come. We hope today’s updates make it easier than ever to find, record, and watch all the entertainment you love.

If you’re a Fiber TV subscriber, you don’t have to do a thing. New customers will get the new Fiber TV as soon as they’re installed. Current customers will automatically get access in the coming weeks.

Posted by Lawrence Kim, Product Manager, Google Fiber

To Nashville, with love

Thursday, September 01, 2016

Update September 20, 2016, 6:00pm PDT: It’s a great day for Nashville. Congratulations to Nashville Metro Council and residents on passing Council Member Davis’ One Touch Make Ready ordinance on its third and final reading. This will allow new entrants like Google Fiber to bring broadband to more Nashvillians efficiently, safely and quickly. We look forward to continuing our work with NES and the local community.

Update September 6, 2016, 7:35pm PDT: We're pleased that Nashville Metro Council supports Council Member Davis’ proposal for a 21st century framework, with a second reading vote of 32-7. Improving the make-ready construction process is key to unlocking access to a faster Internet for Nashville, and this Ordinance will allow new entrants like Google Fiber to bring broadband to more Nashvillians efficiently, safely and quickly. We look forward to continuing our work with NES and other attachers to bring our service to more homes and businesses in Nashville, faster.

Since we launched Google Fiber in Nashville a few months back, we have been humbled by the overwhelming support from local residents, businesses and property owners. We have also been hearing loud and clear that consumers want a choice when it comes to super-fast Internet.

Today Americans have little, if any, choice. The most recent Federal Communications Commission stats show 78% of census blocks have access to only one Internet provider offering speeds of 25 Mbps or more — the minimum speed to be considered “broadband”— while 30% have no broadband access.

So what’s taking so long in Nashville? We have — like many of you — been disheartened by the incredibly slow progress. A big contributor to these delays is the “make ready” process required to attach a new line to a utility pole. Under this current system, each existing provider on the pole needs to send out a separate crew, one by one, to move its own line and make room for a new one. This may have worked a generation ago when there were only one or two attachers, but it’s extremely time consuming — not to mention disruptive to residents of Nashville — to do this with the numerous attachers we have today.

Of the 88,000 poles we need to attach Google Fiber to throughout Nashville, over 44,000 will require make ready work. But so far, only 33 poles have been made ready.

Statistics for “make ready” for Google Fiber in Nashville

We are all seeing the consequences of this old policy: significant delays getting the super-fast Internet you want, from the provider you want. This isn’t just about Google Fiber, but a major hindrance to future innovation for anyone looking to build a new network.

We want to go faster and we know you do, too. The One Touch Make Ready (OTMR) ordinance now being debated by Nashville Metro Council will reduce delay and disruption by allowing the necessary work to be done much more efficiently — in as little as a single visit. This means fewer crews coming through neighborhoods and disrupting traffic, making it safer for workers and residents. The work would be done by a crew the pole owner has approved, instead of multiple crews from different companies working on the same pole over several months.

Once we are on the poles, we will be subject to the same rules as anyone else. That this policy provides an equal playing field for innovation is why experts, groups representing communities, and other fiber builders support OTMR, too. However, some existing providers disagree, and would prefer to keep the current system.

There’s a critical vote scheduled at the Nashville Metro Council on Tuesday, September 6. Since OTMR was first put forward by Council Member Anthony Davis, we’ve worked closely with the Mayor’s office, Council and others to include amendments that we believe make OTMR ready to be enacted. Our sincere thanks to all these folks for their vision, hard work and focus on this ordinance.

If you live in Nashville and you want more choice for super-fast Internet, please reach out to your local Council Member and tell them you support One Touch Make Ready. And attend next Tuesday’s crucial vote at the Metro Courthouse, starting at 6:30 p.m. CDT (arrive early to get a seat!)

We can't wait to bring super-fast Internet to more people in Nashville, faster, and look forward to the outcome of September 6.

Official Blog

Google Fiber Community Impact Report

Access’ Next Steps with Citizens Broadband Radio Service

Webpass goes Mile High with the last mile

Google Fiber arrives in Raleigh: announcing customer signups and our new Fiber Space

More places to grab gigabit, with Webpass

Introducing the updated Fiber TV App

Advancing our amazing bet

Welcome, Webpass to the Google Fiber family!

A new look and feel for Fiber TV

To Nashville, with love

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