Faster and faster: Google Fiber increases the internet service’s speed by more than double

Studies done by a third party have already called Google Fiber the “fastest Internet provider.” Now, Google Fiber is starting faster services in North Carolina and other places where it serves. But don’t go anywhere on the internet just yet. Soon, there will be even more speed.

That means faster access to your PC, faster access to the Internet, and better wifi in the house.

Google Fiber, or GF, announced on Wednesday that the highest speed of its service would go up to 5 gigabits from 2 gigabits, which was the maximum speed when it first came out three years ago. So, the top speeds of the company are the same as those of AT&T and Metronet. AT&T has a lot of service in North Carolina. Metronet is a service that runs in Fayetteville. It is based in Indiana.

GF is already planning to offer 8 gigabit speed in the future

GF’s move comes as more fiber-optic network companies like AT&T, CenturyLink, and Spectrum update their network powers or enter the North Carolina market. The state has announced fiber service in more rural parts of the Triad and eastern N.C. There is a push to get “universal” internet everywhere in the state. Some of these attempts are made possible by federal and state money. For example, MCNC is growing its fiber network across the state so that it can serve more places.

And on Tuesday, Commscope, a company based in Hickory, announced plans to increase the amount of fiber-optic cables it can make. This will add 250 jobs.

GF, on the other hand, is only in big cities like the Triangle and Charlotte, where competition is fierce and speeds are getting faster and faster.

MORE SPEED EQUALS WHAT?

So what does a change to 5 gigabytes mean? Faster business. Faster games. Faster networks at home But you might need a more recent computer to get paid.

“Players will definitely benefit from five gigabit bandwidth. It won’t fix everything. “The network inside the home, the amount of traffic on the provider network, and the number of servers all play a role,” says Mark Johnson, a North Carolina broadband expert and experienced network executive.

“The faster speeds will help people who work from home and need to move a lot of data, as well as people who live in homes where more than one person works.”

Then, Zoom and other communication tools have some good points.

Johnson, a former top executive at the UNC System and at MCNC, says that faster speeds often mean less latency, which makes video meetings and games better.

DON’T FORGET WIRELESS

But there’s more: Wi-Fi that works better.

“The high-end Wi-Fi system they are including will make a difference in homes with the latest computers that have wifi6,” says Johnson, referring to the latest version of Wi-Fi wireless technology.

But there is a catch to all of this. What’s the age of your gear?

“Older computers will not see the advantage,” Johnson says.

Google says, “Based on an industry-wide study, Wi-Fi 6 is on average 30% faster than Wi-Fi 5 (if your phone, laptop, tablet, or other device is ready for Wi-Fi 6).”

WHO’S NO. 1?

Highspeedinternet.com, which studies internet services across the country, has found that Google Fiber will improve its network by:

“Even though it’s only offered in 19 places, Google’s flagship fiber-optic service has been the fastest internet provider since 2018, easily beating all competitors every year. Soon, it will offer new deals with speeds of 5,000Mbps [5 gigabits] and 8,000Mbps [8 gigabits], which could help it make even more money.

GF’s new service costs $125 a month, which is $25 more than its 2G service. Its 1G service costs $70.

“5 Gig and 8 Gig could change the whole ‘work-from-home’ experience for creative professionals and people who work in the cloud,” said Jess George, GF’s head of Government and Community Affairs. “We can’t wait to see how our customers make use of this speed.” We can’t wait to see what our customers do with this speed.”