But the biggest problem is that it still hasn’t landed in many places across the country. So if you’re lucky enough to have Google Fiber internet in your city, is it worth the cost? Let’s dig in. And recently, Google Fiber introduced a second fiber internet plan with speeds up to 2,000 Mbps. Both its 1 gig and 2 gig plans are priced reasonably compared to the competition and come with unlimited data. And both plans offer enough speed for a large family, home full of roommates, or even a small business. But the Webpass service is pretty straightforward, even though your price and download speeds depend on where you live. We even found an apartment building in San Francisco where Google Fiber Webpass was included as an amenity, meaning you’d pay nothing for gigabit speeds if you lived there. (Though you’d still pay those sky-high San Francisco real estate prices.) Webpass speeds also depend on your building’s infrastructure. So you may get speeds slower than 1,000 Mbps—but Google plays fair by discounting your monthly cost if your building can’t support gig speeds. We saw this fair play at work at another apartment building in San Francisco where the fastest speed was 500 Mbps. Because that’s slower than the max Google Fiber Webpass speed of 1,000 Mbps, the monthly cost was discounted to $60.00 a month. You’ll need to check your specific address to find out which payment plans and speeds are available to you.
Huntsville, AL Orange County, CA Atlanta, GA West Des Moines, IA (coming soon) Kansas City, KS and MO Charlotte and The Triangle, NC Nashville, TN Austin and San Antonio, TX Provo and Salt Lake City, UT
Oakland, San Diego, and San Francisco, CA Denver, CO Chicago, IL Miami, FL Nashville, TN Austin, TX Seattle, WA
Well, if that was Google’s goal, then it worked. Ever since Google’s announcement in 2009, there’s been a sort of race to the top among ISPs to develop gigabit speed internet networks. No one wants to lag behind in an industry that’s based on speed. But the question is, now that other companies have started catching up, how does Google Fiber compare? Fortunately for Fiber customers, Google’s service runs on a brand-spankin’-new fiber-optic network that provides reliably fast upload/download speeds and no data caps. Fiber-optic networks will almost always beat out older cable networks, no matter what the advertised speeds are. Real quick: that weighted score isn’t a reflection of Google Fiber’s actual download speeds. Instead, it’s a combination of the average download speeds, upload speeds, and latency seen in more than 1 million speed tests from 2019. Luckily, Google promises no contracts for both its Fiber and Webpass internet services. Now that’s what we love to hear.
Service deposit: $10.00, but credited toward any other fees charged to your account. Construction fee: $300.00, but not everyone pays this. The construction fee is waived if you purchase at least one year of service, and you can also opt to pay it in $25.00 increments. Early termination fees: None. For real.
Here’s a quick look at how much some of the Google equipment costs if you need a replacement.
Fiber jack: $100.00 replacement fee Network box: $200.00–$300.00 replacement fee Google WiFi: $100.00–$110.00 replacement fee Google Fiber Multi-Gig Router + Optical Connector: $280.00 replacement fee Google Fiber mesh extender: $180.00 replacement fee
You can find plenty of horror stories online—mostly about installation and billing issues—from people who signed up for Google Fiber. But I challenge you to find a company that doesn’t have similar online complaints. While Google Fiber certainly has its issues, a Consumer Reports survey suggests that customers are happier with Google than with pretty much any other ISP.3
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Why we picked it: If you want a fast internet plan, Fiber 1,000 brings the speed without asking for your firstborn child in return. Yup, the Fiber 1,000 plan could go toe-to-toe with any of the top gaming ISPs and probably win. But if you do live in the company’s service area and you want gigabit internet speeds, then Google’s affordable fiber internet is nearly unbeatable. We do place a heavy emphasis on the technical details such as overall download speeds, upload speed, and any included data caps. However, we also consider overall availability, affordability, and contracts involved. Here are the factors we considered when reviewing Google Fiber Internet:
Overall download/upload speeds Price of each Google Fiber plan Whether contracts are required Geographic service availability Included equipment and fees
In these cities, Google Fiber uses Webpass’ network technology. Rather than running a cable into your house, Webpass has an extensive network of tower-to-tower wireless relays that connect nearby apartments and office buildings to a central hub. This means Webpass is only available in equipped buildings, and your internet speed will depend entirely on your building’s infrastructure. It’s certainly not traditional internet, but it can be a screamin’ deal for gigabit speeds if you live in the right place. Additionally, while both service options are generally reliable, fiber is known to provide a level of higher reliability due to the technology being less prone to high-traffic slowdowns. However, Google has announced that its Google Fiber TV service will be ending. The offering was a limited trial for customers in Kansas City.
