Wednesday, January 22, 2025
Tuesday, October 08, 2024
GFiber Labs: Exploring the path to 100 Gig
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.
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
Monday, August 26, 2024
Stay connected with mesh extenders
- Connect the mesh extender’s adapter to a power source.
- Connect the mesh extender to the router using the ethernet cables.
- Wait for the blinking white status light to turn green on the mesh extender. (The green status color means the mesh extender is now paired to your router).
Monday, July 08, 2024
GFiber Labs: Tomorrow’s internet today
When we launched GFiber Labs last fall, we asked some big questions designed to help us meet the audacious goal of figuring out what’s possible for the internet and what tomorrow’s internet experience should be. While we don’t have all the answers, one certainty is that tomorrow’s internet will need to be faster. Which is why GFiber Labs is on a journey to push speeds to 100 Gig and beyond. Delivering 20 Gig symmetrical speeds was the first stop in pursuing that goal, but journeys are made by next steps. And we recently took that step in our hometown of Kansas City.
For the first time ever, GFiber Labs, using Nokia’s technology, tested 50 Gig on a live network. We put Nokia’s 50G PON technology to the test in one of our KC fiber huts (where we house our network equipment):
GFiber’s philosophy when it comes to our network is that all our customers should have access to the latest technology — whether they’re in the first neighborhood we served in Kansas City or in our newest construction areas in our most recently launched city of Omaha and everywhere in between. That’s why we’ve upgraded our network holistically to XGS-PON wherever possible, enabling 8 Gig speeds and above in all our cities. We are already seeing high interest in our multigig products. And it’s why we’re now working to deploy Nokia 25G PON in all of our markets by the end of the year, so that we can extend access to GFiber Lab’s 20 Gig plan. We already have customers putting this new level of service to the test in North Carolina’s Triangle, and we’re adding new customers to the early access program in select markets.
So when we start testing new technologies, like 50G PON, you know that it’s more than just an experiment or fun stunt for our engineers to geek out over (although, believe me, we did that too!). GFiber sees a future where the internet must meet the demands of increasing users, devices, and bandwidth hungry applications, including immersive video streaming, virtual and augmented reality experiences, artificial intelligence integration into everyday life, and quantum computing. Multigig is already the new norm. But to meet the challenge of this connected future, we are preparing to further densify our network so when bandwidth needs inevitably multiply, we’ll be ready. We are building a state-of-the-art network and we always want to stay ahead of demand when it comes to our infrastructure. 50G PON has the advantage of co-existing with XGS-PON and 25G PON to make the technology transition easier, which may make it the solution for the future.
These technologies don’t just mean we can deliver benchmark speeds to the home, they ensure our network is reliable and can meet fluctuations in demand. . .say when a certain hometown team goes to that big game in February, EVERY February. GFiber Labs is working to make sure that customers get the experience they deserve at every point of their service — the fastest speeds to the home, using the latest Wi-Fi technology to take advantage of those speed inside and even outside the home, and making sure all of that is supported by a network that fixes problems before they even occur.
A customer experience that changes the way we think about internet - that’s what GFiber has always strived to deliver, and as internet needs evolve, we aim to continue to meet that challenge for our customers. Testing 50 Gig brings us one step closer to tomorrow. The journey continues.
Posted by Liz Hsu, Senior Director, Product & Billing
Thursday, June 06, 2024
Business at full speed in San Antonio
Monday, May 20, 2024
An upgraded network to deliver next generation multi-gig internet service
Tuesday, March 05, 2024
Now, everything’s really up-to-date in Kansas City - 8 Gig available in all GFiber KC service areas
Friday, March 01, 2024
Speed on Business-Trimming with Speed
Tuesday, January 23, 2024
CES 2024: Wi-Fi 7 and the future of connectivity
This news of the next generation of Wi-Fi definitely made waves at CES 2024. The event buzzed with announcements of lots of new devices that support Wi-Fi 7 — from smartphones, to smart home devices, to more innovative devices — the industry has begun gearing up to embrace the power of Wi-Fi 7. Google Fiber is no exception — we’re excited about the Wi-Fi Alliance’s certification of Wi-Fi 7 because it opens the door to even more multi-gig speeds and reduced latency over Wi-Fi networks.
The biggest innovation with Wi-Fi 7 is Multi-Link Operation (MLO), which allows packets to be sent over multiple frequencies simultaneously. Prior generations of Wi-Fi only used one frequency band at a time.This means that one device which supports Wi-Fi 7 can talk to an access point over multiple radios and frequency bands at the same time.
Wi-Fi 7 devices can select from either a 2.4, 5, or 6 GHz band and are able to choose the Wi-Fi band that offers the most efficient and reliable path to the router. The result is lower latency and improved reliability, resulting in a better experience for internet users.
We know that great wireless internet is key to our customers’ in-home experience, so we spend a lot of time working on making it better (even when it’s already good). In 2023, we deployed Wi-Fi 6E routers with tri-band connectivity, built to handle more devices with fewer slowdowns.
Our focus and commitment to delivering speed to the home and in the home is exactly why we’re including a Wi-Fi 7 router for GFiber Labs 20 Gig customers. Wi-Fi 7 is a longer-term solution, if you’re thinking about purchasing a new smartphone, TV, tablet, computer, or other devices in 2024, you may want to consider whether they are Wi-Fi 7 compatible. You can have the latest high-powered router but the compatibility of your Wi-Fi devices also impacts your online experience. Our device guide can help determine Wi-Fi compatibility for your devices.
CES exhibitors unveiled cool new devices and products that support Wi-Fi 7 and are coming soon. Dell introduced two new laptops — the Dell XPS 16 laptop and the Dell Alienware M15 R2 gaming laptop, which are expected to be released in Q1 '24. Samsung announced its Galaxy S24 Ultra smartphone, and Acer announced a new gaming router; the Wi-Fi 7 Predator Connect X7 5G CPE, which offers dual connectivity (an ethernet network and 5G service).
Wi-Fi Alliance’s certification of Wi-Fi 7 ushers in a host of new possibilities, and GFiber is committed to making sure that our customers can harness the speed of their internet. Expect more from us soon to help make your in-home internet even faster.
Posted by Ishan Patel, Product Manager
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Thursday, December 14, 2023
Wi-Fi Focus: How to Get the Best Wi-Fi On Your Devices
Understanding your Wi-Fi technology and how it was built to support your devices is the key to getting the most out of them. Why? Because many of the Wi-Fi enabled devices in your home were built on a Wi-Fi standard, which impacts the Wi-Fi speeds you'll get.
What’s a Wi-Fi standard?
A Wi-Fi standard is a set of rules created by the The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). The IEEE is the world's largest technical professional organization that defines how Wi-Fi devices communicate with each other. In short, it’s the system your devices use when connecting wirelessly. There are many different Wi-Fi standards, also called Wi-Fi technologies. Some standards you may be familiar with are Wi-Fi 5, Wi-Fi 6, Wi-Fi 6E and the soon-to-launch, Wi-Fi 7. Each new Wi-Fi standard is faster and more efficient than the previous one. (That’s why older devices may not go as fast as newer ones.)
Want to see what we’re doing with Wi-Fi 7? Check out our demo
How do Wi-Fi standards impact devices?
Some devices only support certain standards of Wi-Fi technology. So when you're shopping for a new Wi-Fi router, it's really important to make sure that it supports the Wi-Fi standard your devices or future devices are enabled for. For example, if you have a phone that supports Wi-Fi 6 or 7, you'll want to get a router that also supports those standards so you can take advantage of faster speeds and better performance. Making sure that your devices’ technology is compatible with your router technology will help you utilize the fastest Wi-Fi speeds available and avoid lag times.
Want to know how fast your devices can go?
Posted By Sydney Lauer, Product Strategy Analyst
Tuesday, December 12, 2023
Google Fiber’s fastest year ever — to the home, in the home, and everywhere in between
8 Gig Now Available in Utah, North Carolina’s Triangle region, and Austin, Texas
At Google Fiber, delivering a fast, reliable internet experience has always been at the core of what we do, and that’s never been more important. Whether you’re working from home or playing a multi-player game or using it to connect multiple devices in the home, speed matters. That is why GFiber spent 2023 focused on delivering speed to the home and in the home. We made investments in our network, in the equipment we offer customers, in enhanced quality standards for our technicians, and much more.
Some of these efforts have been very public — like our GFiber Labs 20 Gig + Wi-Fi7 project or our efforts to make faster speed plans available to our customers. In early 2023, we began rolling out 5 Gig and 8 Gig internet offerings as we updated our network in each city to XGS-PON. When we said that a product was available in a city, we wanted to make sure it was available to everyone in our service area there. As of today, more than 75% of our residential customers can get 5 Gig and/or 8 Gig.
The response from our customers has been amazing and we’re very proud at the speed at which we’re making these network-wide upgrades. In fact, starting today customers across Utah (Salt Lake City & Provo), Austin, TX, and the Triangle region in North Carolina can sign up for 8 Gig service. Our 8 Gig product offers symmetrical upload and download speeds of up to 8000 Mbps with a wired connection, a router (or you can use your own), up to two mesh extenders and professional installation, for $150/month. This speed can make internet connection feel almost instantaneous.
This is just one part of a focused effort to maximize speed across our network so customers can get the most out of their internet. GFiber is actively upgrading our fiber network, expanding our partnerships with content companies to offer seamless connectivity and low latency experiences, and adding redundancy so customers can stream, game, or video conference with confidence. In fact, most of our customers see even higher speeds than expected, especially over wired connections (see speed tests above).
While speed to the home is important, most of us use Wi-Fi for the majority of our online activities. We’re working to ensure your Wi-Fi keeps up. We are upgrading customers from the original Google Fiber Network Box to Wi-Fi 6 at no cost, helping customers optimize their network set up for their households, and deploying Wi-Fi 6E with tri-band connectivity built to handle more devices with fewer slowdowns. We provided our technicians with new tools and training to optimize the in-home setup. And because we understand that Wi-Fi = Internet for most people, we are helping our customers understand how the devices they use like their smartphones or computers can influence their experience.
As our dependence on the internet continues to grow, we’re working to make sure we’re keeping up with customer needs, not just for today, but in the future. 2023 was our fastest year ever. . .until 2024. We’ll continue to push boundaries to make speed a reality for our customers at every part of the internet ecosystem. And we invite others to join us.
Posted by Liz Hsu, Senior Director, Product & Billing
Monday, December 11, 2023
Your most exciting invitation this holiday season — 20 Gig + Wi-Fi 7 for $250 a month
At our core, we believe speed should always be accessible — that’s why we haven’t raised our 1 Gig from $70 ever and why we’ve priced 2 Gig ($100/month), 5 Gig ($125), and 8 Gig ($150) right along those lines. And we feel the same way with 20 Gig + Wi-Fi 7. At $250, it’s a lot of speed for that price, and we know that it will enable innovators who want to be able to push what’s possible to truly get to work.
We’re starting in Kansas City, North Carolina’s Triangle Region, Arizona, and Iowa. As we continue to roll out Nokia’s 25G PON across our network, we’ll open up invitations in new areas, so make sure you’ve let us know if you are interested in being the one of the first to have this in your home. We expect installations to start in Q1.
As we enter the new year, expect more news out of GFiber Labs — speed is the first step towards next generation internet. We’re working to redefine internet customer experience and to bring it to more people in more places, and GFiber Labs is focusing on how we go from incremental to exponential improvement when it comes to what your internet can do.
Posted by Nick Saporito, Head of Product
Tuesday, November 28, 2023
Wi-Fi Focus: Frequencies and How Your Devices Use Them
What is Wi-Fi frequency?
Wi-Fi frequency is the radio wave frequency that Wi-Fi networks use to carry data between the internet and your device. There are three different Wi-Fi frequencies (also called bands) — each with their own benefits and tradeoffs.
Which frequency is best for you?
Most of the time, you won’t even have to think about it because the majority of Wi-Fi routers will use the best frequency as long as the network name and password are the same across all frequencies. If you need the fastest possible speeds, you should use the 5 GHz or 6 GHz frequency. If you need the best possible range, you should use the 2.4 GHz frequency.
Knowing how frequency works is helpful when making sure your devices are getting the most out of the Wi-Fi technology it’s equipped with, whether that’s Wi-Fi 5, 6, 6E or soon — Wi-Fi 7. We’ve put together a chart you can use as a quick guideline when you need to know which frequencies each Wi-Fi technology supports and how fast they can go.
Posted by Ishan Patel, Product Manager
Thursday, November 16, 2023
20 Gig in the wild
As we’ve previously discussed, we’ve made significant network investments to make 20 Gig speeds possible, but what’s really exciting is the wireless experience with a pre-certified Wi-Fi 7 router. As you can see, it’s fast across the board and enables multiple devices to take advantage of multi-gig speeds, even over Wi-Fi and across multiple floors — which is important because the vast majority of our in-home internet connections happen over Wi-Fi. GFiber collaborated with Actiontec to design and produce a custom, pre-certified Wi-Fi 7 router, even before the Wi-Fi 7 standards are finalized, to ensure that our 20 Gig customers can take advantage of as much of the speed as possible.
The response has been a little overwhelming — we’ve already had thousands of people express interest in getting 20 Gig + Wi-Fi 7 in their homes (and if you’re interested in being part of the limited early access group you can sign up here). We’re glad you’re excited, we are too! You may be curious or have more questions, so we’re hosting an Ask Me Anything on Reddit.com on Monday, Nov 20, at 10:00 AM PT/1:00 PM ET focused exclusively on 20 Gig + Wi-Fi 7. We hope you’ll join us!
Oh, and just ICYMI:
In a "lab-like" environment:
Total throughput of 15 Gbps across multiple devices achieving multi-gig speeds simultaneously (tablet speed test = 8.0, so 2.3+2.1+2.6+8.0=15!).Across the whole house:
Multi-gig speeds across three floors using Wi-Fi 7 extender with MultiLink Operation (MLO) backhaul
And for gaming devices:
Low latency on multiplayer games using Wi-Fi 7 extender with MLO, eliminating the need to connect directly to router
GFiber Labs is continuing to push on what’s possible for the internet. We’re excited to see what our customers can do with next generation internet, and we’re continuing to work, with great partners like Actiontec, to make sure we’re not just ready for the future, we’re helping define it.
Posted by Nick Saporito, Head of Product