The last year has seen a significant revival of Google Fiber. The service was launched in 2010, offering some of the fastest internet ever up until that time. However, it never expanded beyond a few markets. In 2020, the company launched service in West Des Moines, Iowa, its first new city in four years. 

The same year, HighSpeedInternet.com named Google Fiber the fastest Internet provider in the country. Earlier this year, the company announced that it would expand to Arizona, Colorado, Nebraska, Nevada, and Idaho. 

“As communities across the country look to expand access to gigabit internet, I’m happy to say that we’re ready to grow alongside them,” Dinni Jain, CEO of the Access division of Alphabet, said in a blog post in August. “Our team has spent many months traveling across the country, having conversations with cities looking for the best way to get better internet to their residents and business owners as quickly as possible.”

"There was an impression ten years ago that Google Fiber was trying to build the entire country," Jain told Reuters this summer. "What we are gesturing here is, 'No, we are not trying to build the entire country… The intent is to build businesses that will be successful in and of their own right and that is what we are trying to do at Google Fiber for sure," Jain said. He added that the company could not rely on dipping into “a rich parent's wallet.”

Now, Google Fiber is getting even faster. The service will launch  5 Gig, and 8 Gig plans early next year, Google announced in a blog post. 

“Both products will offer symmetrical upload and download speeds (up to 5 Gig or 8 Gig respectively) with a Wi-Fi 6 router (or you can use your own), up to two mesh extenders, and professional installation, all priced for everyday use—$125 per month for 5 Gig and $150 per month for 8 Gig,” the company said. 

Google Fiber offered a 1Gbps speed at launch and reached 2Gbps in 2020. 

“At Google Fiber, we want to make sure our customers are ready for whatever the internet throws their way. While 2 Gig answered the call for many gamers and power streamers,  5 Gig and 8 Gig are designed for even heavier internet users—creative professionals, people working in the cloud or with large data, households with large shared internet demands.” the blog post stated. 

The post continued, “People who create and utilize large files need the ability to transfer them efficiently. For those who work on the cloud or in real-time, like with financial transactions, it’s helpful to know there’s less lag between pushing send and making something happen. 5 Gig and 8 Gig can help these customers take on whatever they need online and be ready for whatever is coming next.”

Stephen Silver, a technology writer for The National Interest, is a journalist, essayist and film critic, who is also a contributor to The Philadelphia Inquirer, Philly Voice, Philadelphia Weekly, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Living Life Fearless, Backstage magazine, Broad Street Review and Splice Today. The co-founder of the Philadelphia Film Critics Circle, Stephen lives in suburban Philadelphia with his wife and two sons. Follow him on Twitter at @StephenSilver.

Image: Reuters.