Google Fiber won’t offer TV in San Antonio and Louisville

It's no secret that Google Fiber is struggling. Its CEO George McCray stepped down in July, only five months into his term, and parent company Alphabet has yet to announce a replacement. On top of that, Fiber's rollout hasn't gone as planned, with th...

Verizon FiOS rolls out 500/100 Mbps broadband, its highest speed tier yet

DNP Verizon FiOS rolls out 500Mbps broadband, its highest speed tier yet

The broadband speed wars continue to rage, and today, Verizon announced that it's throwing down with its fastest tier yet. With a download speed of 500 megabits per second (and an upload speed of 100Mbps), the leap forward marks the latest evolution of the company's fiber-optic Quantum Internet Service, which rolled out last summer. To put those numbers into perspective, you'll be able to download a 5GB HD movie in 1.4 minutes or upload a 100MB file in eight seconds, assuming you're operating at full speed. Verizon is hoping to gradually introduce its newest speed tier to all FiOS markets by 2014, with limited availability starting today. To hear what Big Red has to say about it, check out the video after the break.

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Rural Canadian town developing nation’s first 1Gbps internet service

Rural Canadian town developing nation's first 1Gbps internet service

All you cool city cats on DSL, eat your heart out -- a 1Gbps fiber internet service will soon be speeding up the lives of 8,500 residents in Olds, a rural community in Alberta, Canada. Around 60% of the populace can sign up for the $170 / month plan at the moment, but a new pricing scheme will bring it down to $57. That's cheaper than Google Fiber, folks, which is made possible by the fact that the town itself owns the service. In fact, it's the Olds Institute for Community and Regional Development (a non-profit) that took the bull by the horns, securing a $2.5 million grant from the Alberta government and a $6 million loan from the town itself to fund the fiber network construction. It's thanks to the town's authorities that the residents can soon rid themselves of crappy internet, while the rest of us can only look on in envy.

[Image credit: Barta IV / Flickr]

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Source: CBC News, O-Net

Chicago mayor targets affordable gigabit broadband, free WiFi throughout city parks

Chicago mayor targets affordable gigabit broadband, free WiFi throughout city parks and plazas

If Rahm Emanuel has his way, then Chicago's broadband access may very well give Kansas City a run for its money. The mayor of the Windy City has now revealed a rather ambitious initiative that would (ideally) overhaul the city's broadband infrastructure and provide affordable, gigabit-class fiber internet to areas that primarily serve industry, higher education and entrepreneurial startups. The idea came to Emanuel through Eric Schmidt, who suggested the upgrade be coordinated alongside the city's overhaul of its aging water / sewer system. Before any of this can happen, however, Chicago must first secure commitments from companies that would be willing to install and pay for the new upgrades. As a potential incentive, it's been suggested by Crain's Chicago Business that the city may offer some of its own unused fiber resources on a favorable lease.

In addition to the hopes for ultra-fast broadband, Emanuel's project, dubbed the Chicago Broadband Challenge, also seeks to extend low-cost, high-speed internet to underserved areas of the city and to bring free WiFi access to all public spaces such as parks and plazas. Although mostly a token gesture, mayor Emanuel announced the immediate availability of free WiFi in Chicago's Millennium Park. The city is currently soliciting plans and proposals of how to approach the ambitious project, and you're invited to become a bit more familiar with these grand ambitions with the PR and source links below.

[Chicago photo credit: Nimesh M / Flickr]

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Chicago mayor targets affordable gigabit broadband, free WiFi throughout city parks originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 25 Sep 2012 10:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Time Warner Cable expanding fiber broadband coverage in NYC, only businesses to benefit

Time Warner Cable expanding fiber broadband coverage in NYC, only businesses to benefit

Google, we're not in Kansas anymore, we're in New York, where Time Warner Cable is planning to drop $25 million on expanding its (up to) 1Gbps fiber broadband infrastructure. Specifically, the additional network is hitting neglected areas in Brooklyn and Manhattan, but it's not for general consumption -- it's strictly for businesses. Don't feel too disheartened though -- you might not be getting a slice of this particular fiber pie, but it's all you can eat, all the time at the free WiFi buffet.

Continue reading Time Warner Cable expanding fiber broadband coverage in NYC, only businesses to benefit

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Time Warner Cable expanding fiber broadband coverage in NYC, only businesses to benefit originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Aug 2012 14:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Comcast reportedly prepping 305Mbps internet service, aims to put FiOS in its place

Comcast reportedly prepping 305Mbps internet service, aims to put FiOS in its place

Sure, at 300Mbps Verizon's FiOS Quantum is lightning fast -- but reports say that Comcast is prepping a new tier that's just a little faster. According to Broadband Reports sources, Comcast's Neil Smit told employees that the company would be introducing a 305Mbps downstream tier in Verizon FiOS territories "soon," but neglected to mention a strict timetable. Details regarding pricing and data caps are similarly scarce, of course. Comcast has yet to comment on the rumor, but we'll let you know if we hear anything official.

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Comcast reportedly prepping 305Mbps internet service, aims to put FiOS in its place originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 20 Jul 2012 05:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Verizon intros FiOS Quantum, officially priced up to 300Mbps

Verzion intros FiOS Quantum, officially priced up to 300Mbps

What's faster than FiOS internet service? FiOS Quantum evidently, as Verizon's latest high-speed internet service gets an official name and pricing. Effectively doubling every tier -- except the entry-level 15/5 -- each can be acquired with or without a custom bundle, double or triple play, and range in price from $65 to $175 a month -- except the 300 down / 65 up which is only available by itself for $210 a month. Willing to commit for two years? Well, then you can save yourself a few extra bucks a month. Existing customers won't have to pay an upgrade fee to take advantage of the new speed, but their bill will probably go up about $10 to $15 a month -- depending on what other changes they might make to their bundle. The real question is can one even take advantage of these crazy speeds, but we for one would love to find out.

Continue reading Verizon intros FiOS Quantum, officially priced up to 300Mbps

Verizon intros FiOS Quantum, officially priced up to 300Mbps originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 18 Jun 2012 00:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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