Google Fiber Web Evaluation: Plans, Pricing, Pace and Availability

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Professionals

• Speeds begin at 1Gbps
• No tools charges, information caps or contracts
• Persevering with fiber growth

Cons

• No low cost plan choices Fiber community nonetheless has room to develop

Google Fiber web evaluate

The common price of dwelling web within the US is round $63 a month. With service beginning at $70 a month-to-month, Google Fiber’s pricing is above common, however that is as a result of it is service can be effectively above common.

The $70 plan delivers symmetrical speeds as much as 1,000 megabits per second, and the speeds solely go up from there. Google Fiber is likely one of the quickest ISPs obtainable, at the moment providing 8,000Mbps or 8 gigabits per second in choose areas.

Protection is restricted to metro areas in 16 states, plus components of Washington, DC. Nonetheless, that quantity is steadily rising as Google Fiber expands its protection to new markets. In September, Google Fiber opened its doorways to Lakewood, Colorado residents, providing symmetrical speeds of as much as 8 gigabits.

“We’re persevering with to construct our community throughout Lakewood. As new segments are full, we’ll open service in these neighborhoods. Moreover, we’re set to begin building in Westminster quickly, and actively engaged on design and allowing for Golden, Wheat Ridge and extra components of Adams County,” Google Fiber wrote in an organization press launch.

Restricted availability apart, there’s so much to love about Google Fiber. As somebody who appreciates high-speed web and is keen to pay a bit of extra for it, I will say Google Fiber is definitely worth the premium value. Few fiber suppliers match Google Fiber’s pace potential, not to mention service from cable or DSL suppliers.

You will need to take into account greater than pace when looking for web service in your space, so this is a full rundown of what you may count on from Google Fiber.

Supply: CNET evaluation of supplier information.

Google Fiber’s total worth: Higher than opponents

Google Fiber plans are priced competitively, though there isn’t any low cost web plan. At $70 a month, Google Fiber’s gig service is priced decrease than fiber suppliers like AT&T, Verizon Fios and Quantum Fiber.

Dividing the month-to-month charges by the utmost speeds of an web plan reveals the worth of a given web plan right down to the price of megabits per second or Mbps. Google Fiber’s 1 Gig plan begins at $70 a month for speeds as much as 1,000Mbps, which involves an estimated price per Mbps of seven cents. The two Gig plan is even decrease at 5 cents per Mbps.

A sub-dime price per Mbps is usually a fantastic web deal, and the fee per Mbps of Google Fiber plans is on par with or decrease than most suppliers at any pace tier.

For comparability, Spectrum’s least expensive plan (in most markets) begins at $50 a month for speeds as much as 300Mbps. It is cheaper than Google Fiber, however the fee per Mbps of round 17 cents signifies Google Fiber is the higher deal.

Simple pricing with no added charges

Google Fiber does not have introductory pricing, so you do not have to fret a couple of steep value enhance after 12 months. That is to not say the value won’t ever go up, however there isn’t any assure that it’s going to after a sure time period.

Moreover, Google Fiber plans include limitless information (so no overage expenses), no charges for set up and no contracts with a required service size (no early termination charges). Whereas limitless information and no contracts have gotten extra frequent amongst ISPs, some big-name suppliers would require you to signal an settlement to get the bottom pricing or tack on $50 or extra in overage charges for exceeding an information cap. We admire Google Fiber’s easy method.

Router included at no additional price

Google Fiber features a Multi-Gig Wi-Fi 6E router with all plans aside from the 1Gbps plan, which features a Nest Wi-Fi Professional router with Wi-Fi 6E functionality. Multi-gig pace tiers, that is 2-gig and above, include a Wi-Fi router plus as much as two mesh entry factors, which lengthen the vary and protection of Wi-Fi service all through your private home as much as round 5,000 sq. ft. For those who want better Wi-Fi protection, extra entry factors can be found to buy for $100 every.

Google Fiber availability: Persevering with to develop

Google Fiber has nowhere close to the protection of rival fiber suppliers like AT&T, Verizon Fios or Quantum Fiber, but it surely does supply service in some comparatively main markets. 

Kansas Metropolis, Missouri and Huntsville, Alabama have the best availability, however service can be present in components of Mesa, Arizona; Orange County, California; Atlanta, Georgia; Charlotte and the Raleigh/Durham space of North Carolina; Nashville, Tennessee; Austin and San Antonio, Texas; Salt Lake Metropolis and Provo, Utah; West Des Moines, Iowa; and shortly, Las Vegas, Nevada.

Choose cities — particularly Chicago, Denver, Miami, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle and Oakland, California — will solely have entry to Google Webpass, a high-speed fastened wi-fi web service much like Starry Web. To be eligible for service, prospects should dwell in a constructing that’s wired for Google Webpass.

Google Fiber growth continues

The listing of cities which have entry to Google Fiber is rising, as is the provision in markets the place Google Fiber is at the moment. 

Admittedly, Google Fiber remains to be obtainable to only over 1% of US households, in accordance with the newest FCC information. There are constructive indicators of development and the speedy growth continues in present markets and new ones like Lakewood, Colorado.

Moreover (and inspiring to a suburbanite like myself), Google Fiber exhibits indicators of growth exterior main metropolis limits. For instance, Google Fiber is ready to develop into Harmony and Matthews, North Carolina. I’ve lived in each Charlotte suburbs and wouldn’t have anticipated Google Fiber’s availability to succeed in that far-off from the town middle.

How does Google Fiber stack up towards opponents?

If Google Fiber is out there in your space, it is protected to imagine you even have a cable supplier and presumably even one other fiber supplier obtainable at your tackle. In that case, you will need to understand how Google Fiber compares.

In comparison with different fiber suppliers — or actually any ISP — Google Fiber could have the next beginning value. You will discover decrease month-to-month beginning costs from AT&T Fiber ($55), Frontier Fiber ($30), Quantum Fiber ($30) and Verizon Fios ($50) however it’s price noting that the cheaper plans typically include considerably decrease speeds. If such speeds are enough on your family, a extra reasonably priced plan like what’s obtainable from AT&T or Verizon Fios could also be your greatest guess.

There’s arguably no higher gig or 2-gig supplier

For those who’re involved in gig service, Google Fiber shall be robust to beat, even amongst competing fiber suppliers. At $70 a month, the beginning pricing for Google Fiber’s gig service is decrease than AT&T and Quantum Fiber ($80 and $75).

As for evaluating gig providers from Google Fiber to cable web suppliers like Spectrum or Xfinity, Google Fiber will in all probability be cheaper in the long run since most ISPs enhance their costs after a 12 months. However it’ll seemingly even be sooner, particularly when contemplating add speeds, and extra dependable. Though Xfinity’s gig plan is barely $65 a month in some markets, making it a less expensive possibility than Google Fiber, that value jumps as much as $106 after two years. Equally, Spectrum’s $80 gig plan will ultimately soar to $110 after the primary two years.

Fiber web has the potential to ship symmetrical add and obtain speeds, one thing cable web cannot do. Within the case of Google Fiber’s 2 Gig plan, you will get most add speeds of 1,000Mbps in comparison with most obtain speeds of two,000Mbps, however that is nonetheless extremely quick.

Add speeds with cable web prime out at round 50Mbps, so you will not get anyplace close to the identical add speeds with cable web service. The connection high quality of a fiber service can be sometimes higher than a cable one, which might be inclined to slowed speeds resulting from community congestion, particularly throughout peak utilization occasions. If you wish to study extra about these connection varieties, learn our evaluate on cable vs. fiber.

Google Fiber buyer satisfaction

In its most up-to-date report, the American Buyer Satisfaction Index gave Google Fiber a rating of 76/100, the identical as in 2023. Final 12 months’s 76 was ok to beat the class common (75), but it surely’s even with it this 12 months as different fiber ISPs improved their scores barely. Nonetheless, AT&T Fiber and Verizon Fios had been the one large suppliers named above Google Fiber, though Frontier Fiber and Quantum Fiber additionally obtained a 76.

J.D. Energy, one other buyer satisfaction useful resource we flip to when evaluating an web supplier, gave Google Fiber the highest spot within the South area in 2023 and 2024.

Briefly, prospects look like as happy with Google Fiber as every other prime supplier, maybe extra so. Whereas I might have favored to see Google Fiber’s ACSI rating enhance 12 months over 12 months, there are not any purple flags indicating poor buyer satisfaction.

The underside line on Google Fiber

For those who’ve obtained the necessity for pace, there may be maybe no higher supplier than Google Fiber if the service is out there in your space. Google Fiber has a number of the greatest pricing on gig service and favorable service phrases similar to free tools rental, limitless information and no contract necessities, additional including to the worth. The service is not for everybody, particularly these searching for an affordable plan below $50 a month. You should definitely take into account your entire dwelling web choices earlier than committing to at least one particularly.

Google Fiber FAQs