In a move that will likely simmer any more talk that Google Fiber is simply an experiment and not a true business in the making, Google took the gloves off Wednesday by announcing it is “exploring” the idea of bringing its 1-Gig platform and video service bundles to an additional nine metro markets and up to 34 cities.
Google said it will use a two-step process to help it determine which cities will get the goods, and plans to announce its selections by the end of 2014. Here’s a list of the cities that the company has invited to join the Google Fiber club, and who the primary wireline competitors are in each:
- Atlanta (Comcast, AT&T)
- Charlotte, N.C. (Time Warner Cable, AT&T)
- Nashville, Tenn. (Comcast, AT&T)
- Phoenix (CenturyLink Communications, Cox Communications)
- Portland, Ore. (Comcast, Frontier Communications, and CenturyLink)
- Raleigh-Durham, N.C. (TWC, AT&T)
- Salt Lake City (Comcast, CenturyLink)
- San Antonio (TWC, AT&T)
- San Jose, Calif. (Comcast, AT&T)
They are all poised to join the current crop of Google Fiber markets – Kansas City, Mo.; Kansas City, Kan.; Provo, Utah; and Austin, Texas (starting mid-2014).
For the full story go to Multichannel.com.
