Starting today, Google Fiber customers in Austin, Texas, can sign up for symmetrical 5 Gbps speeds, marking a big speed boost in the market.
Customers who order will get a Wi-Fi 6 router, two mesh extenders, a 10 gigabit Fiber Jack and professional installation, with service costing $125 a month, the company said in a blog post on Monday.
After a quiet few years, Google Fiber is alive and kicking, expanding into new markets or boosting the speeds of existing one. The service represents an alternative to traditional cable and telecom providers, with Google often pushing the envelope on the types of speeds you can get.
While 5 Gbps is more speed than a typical household would need, it would be handy for small businesses or homes filled with a lot of power users.
Google has also taken the time to leverage the network for community work. It said that over 1,300 Austin families are served by GFiber’s Gigabit Community program, which offers free gigabit internet, as well as device and digital skills training. The Community Connections program supplies gigabit internet to over 50 organizations in Austin like Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid, Ballet Austin and MaCallum High School.
The tech giant has its sights set on other nearby communities Rollingwood, Round Rock and West Lake Hills going forward, as well as Espero at Rutland, which works to transition homeless individuals into long term housing. In May, Google announced it would start testing 20 gigbit connections in areas like Austin, Raleigh-Durham and Salt Lake City.