HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Starting today, some Alabamians in the Huntsville area will have access to one of the fastest available internet connections. Through Google Fiber, customers can now sign up for fast internet, television, and phone services individually or in various bundles.
Google Fiber is the ultra-high speed internet service offered in select cities by Alphabet, inc., the parent company of the Google search engine. The connection provides an Internet speed of up to one gigabit per second for both download and upload, which is roughly 100 times faster access than what most Americans have. To put that in perspective, such speed allows for the download of a full movie in less than two minutes.
For $50 per month, customers can receive internet speeds of 100 megabits per second. For gigabit internet and 220 television channels, customers will have to pay $160 a month. Google will also offer telephone service with any plan for an additional $10 monthly charge.
The first area to receive the service is the north end of the city between Pulaski Pike and Interstate 565. It was selected to be integrated first because it is the smallest of Huntsville’s six utility divisions.
Caroline De Gantes, the leader of Google Fiber’s Huntsville business team, told Al.com that Huntsville was selected because it is a “forward-thinking, innovative city.” She also noted that Mayor Tommy Battle has helped streamline the process. Because of the city’s cooperation, Google has been able to “serve people faster than ever.”
Huntsville is one of the few lucky cities across the country that currently has access to Google Fiber. Only seven other cities have access to the service, and big markets such as Dallas, Los Angeles, and Phoenix were just cut out of the expansion picture due to Google Fiber’s recent rollback.
“Google’s entrance into our market bolsters our high-tech legacy, energizes our entrepreneurs, thinkers, and engineers, and supports the high quality of life Huntsville is known for delivering,” Mayor Battle said last year. “Fiber to the home is the Internet infrastructure for the Twenty-First Century. It is as vital to our quality of life as roads, water, sewer, and electricity. It will become the benchmark for cities vying for talent.”
Google also has one of its nine U.S. data centers in Jackson County, and the facility operates out of a converted Tennessee Valley Authority plant.
Huntsville customers can learn more about Google Fiber and its local services on its website linked here.
