Why You Can Trust CNET Google Fiber Is Growing Again
Google Fiber will undergo a major expansion, bringing high-speed internet service to five additional states.
What's happening
Google Fiber says it will begin expanding again, entering new cities in five additional states over the next several years.
Why it matters
Considering that Google Fiber tends to enter smaller markets, its expansion could give many consumers a new choice and potentially better service.
Google Fiber is expanding again.
The internet service provider, which the search giant started 12 years ago, will start delivering high-speed internet to Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Nebraska and Nevada over the next several years, Google Fiber CEO Dinni Jain said in a blog post Wednesday.
Mesa, Arizona, and Omaha, Nebraska, will receive the new services. Google Fiber is talking to city leaders to see where to bring service next. Google says it looks at existing internet availability and services when deciding where to expand the service.
Locating local internet providers
Google Fiber also hopes to offer service in Colorado Springs, Colorado, according to GovTech.
The planned expansion follows a launch of Google Fiber services in West Des Moines, Iowa, in March. That marked the service's first expansion into a new state in five years. Google declined to comment beyond the blog post.
Locating local internet providers
The growth of Google fiber comes as the search giant continues to develop beyond its core advertising business. The company has expanded into smart homes, headphones, health, and game streaming, among other endeavors. Still, advertising remains Google's main business, accounting for over 80% of its revenue in 2021. Google had 83% of the search market as of July.
Google has long wanted a part of the ISP market, and it asked the Federal Communications Commission to introduce a "gigabit bill" to Congress. Instead of waiting for Congress to act, Google decided to start a high-speed internet project of its own. Google Fiber received a surge of interest from cities wanting faster internet access.
Google Fiber began servicing homes in Kansas City, Kansas, in 2012. Fiber was announced for Austin, Texas, in 2013. In 2015, Fiber added multiple cities to its list, including Atlanta; Nashville, Tennessee; San Antonio, Texas; and Charlotte and Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina.