Google Fiber Launching in 4 new markets and British Telecom plan 500Mbit UK Fiber in summer 2015
Steady progress is being made on both sides of the pond to deliver much faster internet access to those who want it and can afford it. Quite soon regular folk will able to enjoy gigabit internet speeds to go with that gigabit network capacity included in modern laptops and Macbooks.
Google Fiber
In the US, Google is busy expanding the reach of their Google Fiber program which intended to deliver 500+ Mbit download speeds to major cities and regions of the United States.
Early Launch Hugely Successful
The initial launch took Google Fiber into Kansas City, Austin Texas and Provo Utah which provided their gigabit network with blistering fast internet speeds to those connected. This led to some university students specifically moving into the areas supported by the new fiber optic internet service and renting houses which were serviced by the net high speed network which then accommodated several students. The service provided so popular that no one wanted to move out either.
Google Fiber Expanding into 4 Metropolitan Areas in South-east
Google Fiber have announced that they are expanding through to the south-east of the county with new services being offered in Charlotte, Atlanta, Nashville and Raleigh-Durham. When this next expansion is complete Google Fiber will be serving 18 major cities across the country with its super fast internet access. Roll out will be slow as Google Fiber are still in the pre-launch phase within the south-east area chosen.
Future Markets Planned
Whilst Google plan to offer their super fast internet service across the country, they did tease internet users that they are considering launching the service in San Antonio, San Jose, Portland, Phoenix, and Salt Lake City after the push in the south-east of the country.
The ink is not dry on the new cities to receive the Google Fiber treatment but the company has kept pretty much to its step by step plan in set markets where it feels there will be sufficient consumer demand for faster internet access than has previously been available.
British Telecom Seeks 500 Mbps Starting in 2016 in Select UK Locations
British Telecom, the largest telco in the UK, are seeking to expand their internet service to an ultrafast broadband one that will initially be capable of 500 Mbps by 2016 rising to 1 Gbps thereafter as a premium service.
Half Gigabit to One Gigabit Across UK in a Decade
The G.fast technology as it has been dubbed is expected to blanket the UK within the decade with the most populous cities being upgraded first, particularly London, Manchester and other major centers of business and commerce.
New Pilot Program in the Summer to 4,000 Properties in 2 Locations
The BT Suffolk-based lab has been working on ways to increase internet speeds recently. The summer pilot programs will cover Gosforth, Newcastle and Huntington, Cambridgeshire which will be open to 4,000 home owners and businesses located in the areas. If the two pilot programs work out successfully for BT then the go ahead will be given for half gigabit service beginning in 2016. The current broadband service reaches speeds of 80 Mbps, with a few locations achieving 300 Mbps fiber to the cabinet facilities.
Fiber to the Cabinet Used to Facilitate Faster Speeds
The basis of the faster network is the user of street based cabinets to house the technology to enable faster access. Dubbed “a supercharged fiber to the cabinet” product, the essence of the program is the track fiber optic cables directly from the telephone exchange directly to the street cabinet and then into homes and businesses from there. Much like was the case a decade before when the internet was first delivered to home owners, those who live closest to the nearest BT exchange are likely to be added first in the area and will receive the fastest internet speeds.
