SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Google's ultra-fast Internet service is coming to San Antonio, the largest city yet to be promised the opportunity to accelerate the speed of their online access.
With the addition of San Antonio announced Wednesday, a total of 24 U.S. cities scattered through seven states have now been selected as markets for an Internet service called "Google Fiber."
Started five years ago in Kansas, the ambitious project represents Google's attempt to pressure major broadband providers such as Comcast, Verizon Communications and AT&T Inc. to upgrade their networks so they run at faster speeds.
Google Inc. is installing fiber-optic lines in selected cities to deliver Internet service at one gigabit per second, up to 100 times faster than existing services. The Mountain View, California, company figures it will benefit if the Internet is available at faster speeds by making online access a more enjoyable experience, increasing the chances that people will see ads at Google's search engine or its other services such as the popular YouTube video site.
Prices for Google Fiber are comparable or below what most households already pay. The service typically costs about $70 per month for just high-speed Internet service.
Google Fiber is currently available in Kansas City, Kansas; Kansas City, Missouri; Provo, Utah; and Austin, Texas. It's also scheduled to be offer in Salt Lake City as well as 18 Southeastern cities in Georgia, Tennessee and North Carolina.
A timetable for Google Fiber's completion in San Antonio hasn't been set. Google estimates it will have to install about 4,000 miles of optic cable in San Antonio before the service will be ready.