Google adds TV as it rolls out Fiber in Kansas City

The cost is $70 for gigabit Internet, $120 with TV, and users can also choose free 5Mbps service if they pay a construction fee

Stephen Lawson (IDG News Service)
26 July, 2012 18:27
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Google Fiber broadband service in Kansas City will cost US$70 per month for 1Gbps Internet access and $120 per month for that service plus TV, the company said Thursday.

Even residents who don't want to pay for the fast service will benefit from the project: For a one-time $300 construction fee, which can be paid in installments, they will be able to get free broadband at speeds comparable to DSL (digital subscriber line) service -- 5Mbps downstream and 1Mbps upstream. But neighborhoods where not enough residents pre-register for Google Fiber won't get it.

Google disclosed the details of Google Fiber on Thursday on its blog and on an information page about the project. The rollout will cover qualifying areas of Kansas City, Missouri, and neighboring Kansas City, Kansas, which won out over more than 1,000 cities that applied for the service in 2010.

The company has divided the cities into "fiberhoods" and asked residents to pre-register for service and tell their neighbors to join them. Each "fiberhood" will have a goal of pre-registrations to meet by Sept. 9, based on the population density of the area. The fiberhoods that get the most pre-registrations will get service first, and should see it soon after the registration period. Google said. Areas where not enough residents pre-register won't qualify for the rollout.

Registration requires giving basic information such as name and address and paying a $10 deposit. The $300 construction fee for equipping a home for service will be waived for those who sign up for the paid services.

Additional perks for those who get TV service will be a free "Storage Box" with 2T bytes of storage for recorded shows, and a free Nexus 7 tablet to use as a remote.

Stephen Lawson covers mobile, storage and networking technologies for The IDG News Service. Follow Stephen on Twitter at @sdlawsonmedia. Stephen's e-mail address is stephen_lawson@idg.com