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The GFiber blog is your home for GFiber news and updates

Google Fiber has broken ground in Missouri’s capital, marking the start of our network construction in the area. GFiber has been expanding our footprint in the Show Me State for over a decade.

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Since we announced our agreement with Jefferson City last year, we’ve been collaborating closely with city officials to ensure we can build our network efficiently and minimize disruption to residents and businesses.

In addition to beginning network construction, we’re also putting key facilities in place. Yesterday, we installed our first Jefferson City fiber hut. The fiber hut is a key component of our network, serving as a local distribution point connecting fiber lines to neighborhoods and ensuring reliable service. 

Hut being installed recently in Jefferson City.

We expect to start serving our first Jefferson City customers later this year and will continue construction across the community. Residents and business owners will then be able to choose from Google Fiber’s high-speed internet plans, featuring speeds up to 8 gigs to meet their internet needs.


For updates on construction progress and product availability, sign up here. We’re thrilled to bring GFiber to Jefferson City and look forward to connecting this historic and vibrant community.

Posted by Rachel Merlo, Head of Government Affairs and Community Affairs, Central Region



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Google Fiber’s Community Connections program provides gigabit internet service to local nonprofits to help them serve their constituencies and meet their organizational goals. Today, Empower House, the first GFiber Community Connection in San Antonio, shares how access to high-speed internet is helping the nonprofit foster an environment of empowerment and equity for people of all backgrounds.  

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With rising socio economic challenges in East San Antonio, a diverse group of women founded Martinez Street Women’s Center to improve reproductive health services and create a space for marginalized women and girls to access the necessary resources and education to help them succeed. 

Twenty-six years later, with a second location on the southeast side of the city and a third on the west side, we are now called Empower House and have expanded to meet the needs of our diverse community — all through the lens of restorative justice. Through community health, youth programming and advocacy opportunities, we have advanced our collective journey toward justice together with those most impacted by systematic inequity. 


Empower House believes in the strength shared information and education offer, and coupled with access to resources, we provide opportunities for the empowerment of our community. We shared that vision with the Esperanza Peace and Justice Center, and in 2017 added a music and talk radio station, KXEP 101.5 FM The Empower House. Hosting six weekly shows and, as a part of the Pacifica Network, KXEP has been a thriving community connector, sharing and amplifying inspiring stories from women of color, LBGTQ+ individuals and other traditionally marginalized communities. 


As our radio station continues to be a centerpiece with our community content creation, it was imperative to be innovative in finding solutions to grow the production. We recently built out a radio station and student studio to expand and modernize our space by providing our radio hosts with the necessary resources to strengthen their programming. 


The renovation was enabled in part through GFiber’s Community Connections program, which paid for the technology of the new student studio and generously installed 1 Gig network service for free. We are grateful and humbled to be the first recipient of GFiber’s Community Connections program in San Antonio. 


Through GFiber’s high-speed connection, we’re able to work quicker and smarter. Our radio studio has produced 14 local radio shows. We also added an on-demand feature on our website and a radio app that makes our programming more accessible on the go. Our online radio visitors continue to increase with current listenership at more than 17,000, who have downloaded more than 900 episodes to date from our website. 

With GFiber’s support, we outfitted our Student Studio enabling us to teach students of all ages the skills necessary to harness the technology for storytelling, recording and editing. The voices of the most marginalized amongst us have traditionally been underrepresented in radio and our rich history and culture deserves to be uplifted and highlighted by those of us that live it.


Additionally, GFiber provides 1 Gig service to our Digital Equity Center, which serves as a free WiFi hub for the community, with laptops and printers available for public use. 

Today, our extensive programming has served thousands of San Antonians, creating transformative change for future generations of families. And with the support of GFiber, we will continue to carry out our mission for decades to come. 

To learn more about our radio programming, please visit https://empowerhousesa.org/radio/.  

Posted by Becca Najera, Assistant Director, Empower House SA


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Google Fiber is coming to Douglas County! Today, the Douglas County Commission officially approved GFiber’s right of way agreement, allowing our team to connect even more Colorado neighborhoods to fast, reliable internet. 

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This is just the latest announcement in GFiber’s Colorado expansion efforts. Our team is continuing to work around the clock to deliver industry-leading speeds to residents in new areas of Lakewood, Golden, Adams County, Westminster and Wheat Ridge. We anticipate that Douglas County construction will begin later this year with service to customers available in 2026.  


In addition to serving customers in Lakewood and our GFiber Webpass customers in Denver, our team is settling into the community and excited to be working with some incredible local organizations. Last month, we opened our Lakewood office and we’ve been collaborating with the Latin American Educational Foundation to provide scholarships for some of the state’s brightest students. We also support the digital literacy efforts of Girls Inc, programs for parenting teens at Hope House and the Denver Scholarship Foundation. And we’re just getting started, as this latest announcement shows. 
 
Want to keep up with what’s happening with GFiber Douglas County or other parts of Denver? Sign up here to receive real-time updates and stay up to date on our progress.  
 
Posted by Alberto Garcia, Government and Community Affairs Manager




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UPDATE: As of May 9, GFiber’s new lifestyle products are now available in Kansas, Missouri, Texas, Nebraska, Iowa, and Colorado, as well as Utah, Idaho, Arizona, Alabama, Tennessee, and North Carolina. 

 

GFiber started on the premise that symmetrical 1 Gig at an accessible price is a necessity. As the internet has become ever more central to our lives — in how we work and learn, how we buy and sell not just goods but ideas, how we connect with our family, our friends, our communities, and our world — and bandwidth demands have continued to grow, this has proven ever more true. And how we offer internet needs to evolve to meet customers where they are online. Because one thing is always true at GFiber — we’re working to build the internet we all want, and as the internet changes, our products will keep up.  We are looking beyond speed and price to build the products that make sense for our customers.  


That’s why we’re rolling out a new suite of lifestyle-based products. As you may have heard, we’ve been piloting them in Tennessee and Alabama over the past couple of months, and today, we’re launching them in Arizona and North Carolina, with plans to make them available in other locations over the next month.

These new products — Core 1 Gig, Home 3 Gig, and Edge 8 Gig — are great on speed (both up and down), as you would expect from GFiber. But, fast is just the beginning, these products were designed to ensure your home network ubiquitously meets the needs of your household’s unique internet lifestyle.  There’s a product for everyone whether you just need fast and reliable internet for the basics, or internet is the lifeblood of your home with multiple people using many devices and several smart home connections, or you need internet for a no-limit gaming experience.  
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And while we think these products do offer a lot in addition to symmetrical speeds, great service, and good value — including new features based on your product selection, like tailored wired connections where you need internet most, an app that automatically keeps score and helps maximize performance, an advanced router capable of powering your Wi-Fi needs in every corner of your home (with WiFi 6E), battery backup to keep you up and running even when your power is out, and an Uptime Guarantee — we’re just getting started. We’ll continue to deliver new ways to enhance and personalize the internet experience to serve your evolving needs, preferences and lifestyles.  

Our new products are about finding the internet that fits you. Core 1 Gig is a premium product at a price that hasn’t changed since 2012 that makes it easy to set it and forget it. Home 3 Gig is built to meet the needs of today’s typical home, with multiple people working, learning, streaming, and anything else-ing simultaneously (at the same price as our previous 2 Gig plan). And Edge 8 Gig offers advanced tech capabilities at less than 2 cents per Mpbs (the best rate you’ll find on the market). But it’s not about just getting “more,” it’s about getting it right for you.

GFiber will keep working to evolve products and give customers an experience that meets their needs, and anticipates and exceeds their internet dreams. Just as we’ve done since the beginning, we’re working to build the internet we’ve always wanted, no matter what your online life looks like. So the only question is - what’s your lifestyle?

Posted by Liz Hsu, Head of Product


  


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Network construction is officially underway in Las Vegas! We’ve broken ground on the west side of the city, with construction to follow in additional parts of Clark County next month.  

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Google Fiber announced agreements with both the City of Las Vegas and Clark County in 2024. Now that construction has officially begun, we will continue to work closely with the city and county to build our network while minimizing disruption to residents.



GFiber service will be available in parts of the metro area later this year. Nevada residents and business owners will be able to choose between Google Fiber’s plans with prices that haven’t changed since 2012 and speeds up to 8 gig. 

For updates on construction progress, products and availability, sign up here. We’re excited to be part of connecting this vibrant city.


Posted by Ashley Church, General Manager West Region










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Tucked in between a picturesque skyline and modern architecture sits a Market brimming with ingenuity, ambition and dream making.

Billed as North Carolina’s first food hall, The Market at 7th Street opened in Charlotte in 2011. Since its inception, the nonprofit Market has hosted more than 40 small businesses, acting as a non-profit incubator, helping local entrepreneurs and minority businesses realize their vision in an inclusive and supportive environment. To help small business owners reach their full potential, GFiber supplied the building with internet. 

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“Our business relies on it. If we’re going to accept business via card, we need to be hooked up to a reliable internet system and Google Fiber does not fail us at all. I wouldn’t change it for anything,” says Janelle Doyle, owner of It’s Poppin Kettle Corn, a Market staple.


Doyle started her business in The Market in 2017. Since then, her kettle corn business went from a handful of flavors to a finger-licking 60, including customer favorites like cheesy caramel, fried chicken and cookies and cream. She says the role GFiber plays in her day-to-day life is even more pivotal during the holiday season when people’s appetites increase.

“The fact that GFiber is so reliable, it really does help us maintain a good customer relationship,” she says. “It’s essential to my livelihood. It’s one less thing I have to worry about. It’s quick, it’s fast and I haven’t had any problems with it at all. It’s reliable and dependable. GFiber checks all the boxes.”


About 20 feet away you’ll find Josh Villapando. The first-generation Filipino American has an eye for elegance and a taste tailored for it. His comprehensive and curated wine selection (along with vintage toys dating back to the 1940s) has operated at The Market since 2012.

“I remember seeing it advertised to greater Charlotte, and I could not wait. Sure enough, Google Fiber set up across the street. It was night and day, not just for us to run faster, but more efficiently and more reliably,” he says.


Similar to Doyle, the holiday season is big business for Villapando. He makes more than 50% of his revenue during this time, so the importance of fast and reliable internet is paramount.

“I don’t know how we could live without it. It’s essential,” he says. “I consult and give advice to other small business owners. I tell them, ‘You need a strong accountant, a very strong lawyer, a paper shredder and you definitely need super-fast and reliable internet service.’”

Posted by Jess George, Head of Government & Community Affairs Manager, East Region



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It's been an exciting year for GFiber in Idaho, as we continued to work hard to bring internet service to the Gem State, and we’ve been humbled by the response.  

On October 3rd, we began offering service to customers in Pocatello, our first city in Idaho. We celebrated at Lookout Point Park, with representatives from the city, and the energy was electric! Mayor Blad captured the excitement perfectly, highlighting how crucial increased internet access is for residents and businesses. 


And earlier this month, we were thrilled to welcome Chubbuck to the GFiber family, beginning to serve customers there as well.

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This rollout wouldn't have been possible without the fantastic collaboration with both cities. In early 2023, Pocatello and Chubbuck signed license agreements with GFiber, and the collaboration with city staff has been outstanding ever since. It's a testament to what can be achieved when GFiber and our cities work together towards a common goal.

To that end, GFiber is also jumping in to work with the local communities to help further their digital inclusion goals. Even before we served customers in the region, we started working with Idaho State University in Pocatello to help increase digital literacy in the region. We're proud to support their STEM programs and digital literacy initiatives, and we were deeply touched by the strong ISU presence at our Pocatello ribbon-cutting ceremony, and excited to announce our efforts at a celebration with President Robert Wagner.


This is just the beginning for GFiber in Idaho. We've been busy exploring opportunities in the Treasure Valley and can't wait to bring our services to more neighborhoods in this vibrant region soon. You can check service availability and get updates here.

Posted by Alberto Garcia, Government & Community Affairs Manager, West Region



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GFiber is tuning up to celebrate 10 years in Nashville. We announced we were coming to  Music City in 2015, and today, dozens of neighborhoods across the city have GFiber connecting them to all the things they love.

As we continue to build out our network within Nashville’s city limits, we’re also extending connections to other Middle Tennessee residents.  We currently serve customers in Smyrna, and are in the process of adding Murfreesboro and Franklin to the GFiber family. 

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We started work on the infrastructure to connect Murfreesboro this year and started wiring up neighborhoods there in September. Mayor Shane McFarland and the City of Murfreesboro team have been instrumental in bringing GFiber to the city at the literal center of Tennessee! We expect to also begin construction in Franklin by the end of this year. 

Growing Our Team
Just like our network, the GFiber team also continues to grow. Nick Fischer was recently promoted to South Region General Manager, overseeing all market operations across Tennessee, Alabama and Florida. Other recent additions include Emily Trapani, Head of Sales in the South Region; John-Michael Cortez, Head of Government and Community Affairs for the South and Southwest Regions; and Eric Grose, Head of Metro Technical Operations for The South Region. Emily and John-Michael are both long term members of the GFiber team, while Eric is joining us with two decades of experience in the telecom industry. Our team is continuing to grow, so if you are interested in helping us connect more people in Music City, take a look at our open roles.


Our Commitment to Community 
Since establishing our roots in Middle Tennessee a decade ago, our commitment to the communities we serve here is only growing stronger. 

We’ve partnered with the Nashville Public Education Foundation and Nashville Public Library Foundation to help provide our Middle Tennessee neighbors access to technology and develop the digital skills needed to succeed in today’s world. 

We’re also proud to support initiatives like the  NTEN Digital Inclusion Fellowship, which provides nonprofit professionals with the knowledge they need to bring digital equity to their communities. 


Beyond our community partnerships, we’ve also had fun sponsoring and attending local events, including the Pilgrimage Festival, the Top Gun Night Run 6K, and the Mayor’s Cup Golf Tournament.
We’re excited to continue our journey of connecting communities across Middle Tennessee.

Posted by the GFiber Nashville Team







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A year ago, GFiber Labs announced 20 Gig + Wi-Fi 7 at Network X in Paris, and just this summer, we went a step further, testing 50 Gig on our network in Kansas City. As 2024 Network X gets underway, we’re excited to continue our work towards 100 Gig with the publication of a white paper with Ciena on Optimizing Passive Optical Networks with Coherent Innovation. I’d like to say a special thank you to the peer reviewers, as always these types of projects are always a true collaboration and exemplify the kind of work we do at GFiber Labs.  


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This paper explores how 100G CPON could potentially future-proof fiber networks with consideration of growing demands for bandwidth and service, discussing the requirements and opportunities to make this technology a reality and to get it widely deployed. GFiber is committed to ensuring that our network anticipates consumer needs and is ready to support increased demand in advance. Understanding and exploring advanced PON technologies is a key piece of delivering on that promise. 


The future of the internet is wildly exciting. GFiber Labs will continue to further the conversation and innovation around what’s next for internet and how we can bring these opportunities to life to make the internet better for everyone. 


Posted by Hani Elmaky, Head of Network Planning & Engineering



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Starting today, residents of the Alameda neighborhood of Pocatello can sign up for GFiber’s award-winning internet service. We celebrated this milestone with Pocatello Mayor Brian Bland this afternoon at Lookout Point Park. Neighbors who stopped by got information on our products and some delicious empanadas from Beixy Kitchen.

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As the gateway city of the northwest, Pocatello is a natural way to expand GFiber from our service areas in Utah. While we’re continuing to build our network across the city (and neighboring Chubbuck), we appreciate the support and collaboration of the city staff, mayor, and city council to help us continue to connect more people to great internet.  

Pocatello customers have a choice of 1 Gig for $70/month, 2 Gig for $100/month, 5 Gig for $125/month or 8 Gig for $150/month — all with symmetrical uploads and downloads,  equipment and installation included at no additional cost, and no annual contracts or data caps. We also offer GFiber for Business. Local businesses can choose between Business 2 Gig for $250/month or Business 1 Gig for $100/month. 

The Alameda neighborhood is just the beginning with more areas opening up for service as network segments are completed.You can stay up to date on our construction progress and service availability, by signing up here.

Posted by Alberto Garcia, Government and Community Affairs Manager



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