Residents of Provo will soon be able to boast having the fastest Internet in the nation as Google Fiber makes its way to town.
The new high-speed Internet service reaches speeds up to 100 times faster than standard Internet service. Currently, Google Fiber is open to select residents in Provo, but it will soon be open to customers in the entire city, which is one of only three in the nation with the technology installed.
The most basic option Google Fiber offers is a five-megabit Internet package that, apart from the $30 construction fee, is free to customers for at least seven years. Google Fiber also offers a gigabit Internet option (1,000 megabits) and a gigabit Internet/HDTV option at $70 and $120 per month, respectively.
The new network also grants free gigabit Internet access to certain public institutions, such as schools and libraries.
Sophia Wright, a senior in early childhood education at BYU, hopes it will have a positive effect on the community as a whole.
“Accessibility to Internet is huge,” Wright said. “I’m studying to be a teacher so thinking about having readily accessible Internet in school is a really good way as a teacher to use technology. I think it will have a really positive impact on schools.”
The Provo Google Fiber network is divided into seven areas, each of which are set to become operational at different points throughout the year. The North Park area is already available for customer use, while the remaining six areas are scheduled to be operational at various times before the end of the summer.
Michael Davis, a junior in digital media at BYU, thinks the service will be a success in Provo because of the large student population looking for cost effective ways to gain Internet access.
“I think what made Provo so excited for it was not only how fast it was going to be, but also how cheap it was going to be,” Davis said. “It’s so easy for a college student right now.”
Google has also created what they call a “Fiber Space” — a physical location where customers can ask questions and sample the different services offered. The new site is located in the shops at Riverwoods on University Avenue in Provo.
Access to this new technology may not be limited to those in Provo alone. Google announced earlier this week that they plan to survey Salt Lake City during the upcoming year as a possible destination for Google Fiber as well.
Salt Lake City is one of 34 cities currently under consideration for the new technology. The selected cities will be constructed using models similar to what was used to bring Google Fiber to Provo.
Wright said she believes most students in the Provo area will take advantage of the new technology available to them.
“People seem pretty excited about it,” Wright said. “I think most people like Google and think [Google Fiber is] a really good thing.”
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