Google Fiber’s rollout of high-speed Internet and cable television services is expanding with the announcement that Olathe, Kan., will be the next community to receive Google Fiber.
“A few minutes ago, the Olathe City Council approved an agreement to bring Google Fiber to their city,” Rachel Hack, community manager for Google Fiber, wrote in a March 19 post on the Google Fiber blog. “Olathe has become one of the fastest-growing cities in Kansas and has attracted an influx of new businesses and residents. They’ve all noticed what a great community Olathe is, and so have we. We think that Fiber and widespread Internet access will help to create jobs, grow local businesses, and make Olathe even stronger as it grows.”
Google has been unveiling Google Fiber in sections of Kansas City, Mo., and Kansas City, Kan., since the fall of 2012 in the first deployments of a system that the company hopes will go national in the future.
In December 2012, Google announced that five more neighborhoods in the Kansas City area will be getting its fiber services as the rollout continues there.
The installation of the fiber network in the Kansas City area began in February 2012, when the laying of fiber cable got under way.
“We still have a lot of planning and engineering work to do before we’re ready to bring Fiber to Olathe,” Hack wrote in her post. “Once we get those processes under way, we’ll be able to announce more about pre-registration and construction timing. We’ll be sure to publish an update as soon as we have it. This announcement doesn’t change our published construction schedule for eligible homes in Kansas City, Kan. and Central Kansas City, Mo.”
The Kansas City area was chosen more than two years ago by Google as the place to start their Google Fiber efforts after the company publicly asked communities across the nation whether they’d want to be the test site for the project. More than 180 Kansas City neighborhoods preregistered for the fledgling new service in September 2012.
Pricing for Google Fiber in Kansas City starts at $70 per month for 1G-bit Internet access alone, up to $120 per month for 1G-bit Internet access as well as Google Fiber TV. The Google TV package also includes a Nexus 7 tablet that can be used as a remote control. One terabyte of cloud storage is included with the Internet-only package, while 2TB of DVR storage is included with the TV/Internet package. Residents will also be eligible for free Internet access at a lower speed under the sign-up program, according to Google.
Even as Google Fiber service is continuing to be rolled out to new communities, Google is also unveiling new services to existing customers. In a March 7 post on the Google Fiber blog, the company announced that it is beginning to offer some 3D channels for customers who have newer 3D televisions.
“Thanks to two great new channels, 3net and ESPN3D, our Google Fiber TV customers (who own 3D glasses and a 3D-capable TV) will now be able to watch 3D programming right in their living room,” Larry Yang, head of Fiber product management, wrote in the blog post. “Subscribers to our Gigabit + TV Plan will get 3net, which features an extensive library of original 3D programming, including natural history, documentary, action/adventure, kids and family, lifestyle and cuisine, concerts, movies, scripted series and more.”
ESPN3D is being offered to customers through Google Fiber for $5 per month, according to Yang.