Google Fiber is launch the 5Gbps internet plan that began testing in October. The service will initially cover four cities, but Google says the $125-per-month service will expand to other areas later this year.
The new plan is available today at Kansas City, West Des Moines and fiber Utah Cities. It has symmetrical upload and download speeds, an upgraded 10 Gig Fiber Jack (the little box that houses the fiber cable entry into your home), professional installation, a WiFi 6 router, and up to two mesh network extenders.
While 5 Gbps speeds may be excessive for most homes, they can be useful for creative professionals, gamers, and others who need minimal latency or frequently transfer large files. For example, a 150GB one Microsoft flight simulator downloading which takes 11 minutes at 2Gbps would only take around three minutes at 6Gbps (in ideal conditions, anyway).
The improved speeds are part of Google’s rejuvenated approach to Fiber. The company also recently Announced its first network expansion in years. But, perhaps most importantly, it re-establishes Fiber as an industry disruptor pushing competitors to improve speeds and lower prices (perhaps) on existing plans. Comcast already offers 6Gbps service in some areas, but it costs a whopping $300 and doesn’t include symmetric uploads.
Google also reiterated that Fiber’s 8Gbps option, also announced late last year, is still “coming soon.” That service will also include symmetric uploads and downloads.
All Engadget Recommended products are curated by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you purchase something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. All prices are correct at the time of publication.
