Google Fiber Heading To Austin ‘By Mid-2014’

Google Fiber is heading to Austin and will likely be available “by mid-2014,” according to the company.

Google confirmed the news that has been swirling around the past few days, ever since it sent sneaky invites to the press to come to the Texas capital.

Austin will receive the gigabit speed of Google Fiber sometime next year. After announcing to the press, the company also posted a blog update, explaining why they picked Austin. The post read, in part:

“It’s a mecca for creativity and entrepreneurialism, with thriving artistic and tech communities, as well as the University of Texas and its new medical research hospital.”

The super-fast internet service started in Kansas City last year with a few different packages set to rival other providers. Google Fiber currently comes in three packages: $120 per month (RV-over-IP and a DVR), $70 per month (gigabit speed, but no TV), and $300 (one-time construction cost that brings 5Mbps over seven years for free). The third option gets your house Google Fiber-ready.

Along with the similar packages, the company announced it would also likely connect many public institutions in Austin, like schools and hospitals, to the new internet service for free.

Along with the press invite, Google may have accidentally scooped itself over the weekend when a headline on Google Fiber’s website briefly flashed, “Google Fiber’s Next Stop: Austin, Texas.” True to the title, the company released a blog post with the same title on Monday.

Now that the news is confirmed, speculation among experts will likely run rampant about what the service will do to change the business. Google Fiber’s arrival in Austin likely means that the company is serious about branching out into the internet provider service — not just to shame existing broadband giants like Comcast with it’s incredibly fast service.

Time Warner Cable currently dominates the market in Austin. However, the addition of Google Fiber could certainly change that. The company added of its new addition:

“We believe the Internet’s next chapter will be built on gigabit speeds, and we hope this new Google Fiber city will inspire communities across America to think about what ultrafast connectivity could mean for them.”

Would you consider getting Google Fiber for your home?