Category Archives: Google Fiber

The latest news from the Google Fiber team

Google Fiber’s fastest year ever — to the home, in the home, and everywhere in between

8 Gig Now Available in Utah, North Carolina’s Triangle region, and Austin, Texas


At Google Fiber, delivering a fast, reliable internet experience has always been at the core of what we do, and that’s never been more important. Whether you’re working from home or playing a multi-player game or using it to connect multiple devices in the home, speed matters.  That is why GFiber spent 2023 focused on delivering speed to the home and in the home.  We made investments in our network, in the equipment we offer customers, in enhanced quality standards for our technicians, and much more.  


Some of these efforts have been very public — like our GFiber Labs 20 Gig + Wi-Fi7 project or our efforts to make faster speed plans available to our customers. In early 2023, we began rolling out 5 Gig and 8 Gig internet offerings as we updated our network in each city to XGS-PON. When we said that a product was available in a city, we wanted to make sure it was available to everyone in our service area there. As of today, more than 75% of our residential customers can get 5 Gig and/or 8 Gig.  


The response from our customers has been amazing and we’re very proud at the speed at which we’re making these network-wide upgrades. In fact, starting today customers across Utah (Salt Lake City & Provo), Austin, TX, and the Triangle region in North Carolina can sign up for 8 Gig service. Our 8 Gig product offers symmetrical upload and download speeds of up to 8000 Mbps with a wired connection, a router (or you can use your own), up to two mesh extenders and professional installation, for $150/month. This speed can make internet connection feel almost instantaneous.


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This is just one part of a focused effort to maximize speed across our network so customers can get the most out of their internet. GFiber is actively upgrading our fiber network, expanding our partnerships with content companies to offer seamless connectivity and low latency experiences, and adding redundancy so customers can stream, game, or video conference with confidence. In fact, most of our customers see even higher speeds than expected, especially over wired connections (see speed tests above). 


While speed to the home is important, most of us use Wi-Fi for the majority of our online activities. We’re working to ensure your Wi-Fi keeps up.  We are upgrading customers from the original Google Fiber Network Box to Wi-Fi 6 at no cost, helping customers optimize their network set up for their households, and deploying Wi-Fi 6E with tri-band connectivity built to handle more devices with fewer slowdowns.  We provided our technicians with new tools and training to optimize the in-home setup.  And because we understand that Wi-Fi = Internet for most people, we are helping our customers understand how the devices they use like their smartphones or computers can influence their experience.


As our dependence on the internet continues to grow, we’re working to make sure we’re keeping up with customer needs, not just for today, but in the future. 2023 was our fastest year ever. . .until 2024. We’ll continue to push boundaries to make speed a reality for our customers at every part of the internet ecosystem. And we invite others to join us.  


Posted by Liz Hsu, Senior Director, Product & Billing

Google Fiber names John Keib Chief Technology & Product officer

Google Fiber is proud to announce John Keib as the company’s first-ever Chief Technology & Product Officer (CTPO). As CTPO, John will continue to drive our product, engineering, and supply chain efforts, along with overseeing the innovative projects coming out of GFiber Labs.

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Since joining GFiber in 2019 as Vice President of Product, John has been building a next generation Internet service focusing on groundbreaking speeds and enhanced quality of Internet service for all customers.  At GFiber, he has pushed the boundaries on speed and led the effort to take us from 1 Gig as a foundation to the multigig future the internet is increasingly demanding. Under John’s leadership, GFiber rolled out 2 Gig, 5 Gig and 8 Gig products and developed relationships with companies across the internet ecosystem to upgrade not just our network, but also work to ensure that customers have the latest hardware necessary to harness that speed for all customers. These efforts have made services like 20 Gig + Wi-Fi 7 a reality and a roadmap beyond those speeds attainable. John’s vision for the internet is both abundant and revolutionary to how we live our daily lives.

John with his leadership team

Previously, John oversaw a team of 40,000 employees as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for Residential Services at Time Warner, where he spent almost two decades working in roles spanning sales, marketing, product, customer service, technical operations and supply chain. He also spent time at both DirecTV and Thompson Media earlier in his career.

“In my time working with John, his leadership has always been grounded in maximizing potential for customers and setting an ambitious agenda to both address weaknesses and harness strengths,” said Dinni Jain, GFiber CEO. “John’s visionary leadership is critical to GFiber’s ability to truly push the boundaries of what ISP can be. With product, engineering, and GFiber Labs under his guidance, we’re very lucky to have him setting both the path for where we’re going and the bar for what we need to be as a company.” 

The GFiber Team

Your most exciting invitation this holiday season — 20 Gig + Wi-Fi 7 for $250 a month

We told you 20 Gig + Wi-Fi 7 was coming. We showed you what it can do (multiple simultaneous multi-gig streams!). Now we’re ready to make it official — 20 Gig + Wi-Fi 7 will be available to select customers for $250 per month plus applicable taxes and fees. 

At our core, we believe speed should always be accessible — that’s why we haven’t raised our 1 Gig from $70 ever and why we’ve priced 2 Gig ($100/month), 5 Gig ($125), and 8 Gig ($150) right along those lines. And we feel the same way with 20 Gig + Wi-Fi 7. At $250, it’s a lot of speed for that price, and we know that it will enable innovators who want to be able to push what’s possible to truly get to work.

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We’re starting in Kansas City, North Carolina’s Triangle Region, Arizona, and Iowa. As we continue to roll out Nokia’s 25G PON across our network, we’ll open up invitations in new areas, so make sure you’ve let us know if you are interested in being the one of the first to have this in your home. We expect installations to start in Q1.

As we enter the new year, expect more news out of GFiber Labs — speed is the first step towards next generation internet. We’re working to redefine internet customer experience and to bring it to more people in more places, and GFiber Labs is focusing on how we go from incremental to exponential improvement when it comes to what your internet can do. 

Posted by Nick Saporito, Head of Product 




Community Foundation of Huntsville- 2023 Digital Inclusion Fund Grants

At Google Fiber, digital equity has always been core to our mission. We believe that everyone should have access to fast, reliable internet. In 2018, GFiber and the Community Foundation of Greater Huntsville launched the Digital Inclusion Fund, a grant program that supports local nonprofits with funding for digital-forward programming to help bring technology, know-how, and resources to traditionally underserved communities. 

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Last week, the Community Foundation of Greater Huntsville hosted a GivingTuesday celebration and announced the 2023 recipients of the Google Fiber Digital Inclusion Fund. This year, six Huntsville-area nonprofits were awarded a total of $45,000 to support programming that teaches digital literacy to residents of all ages, fund technology and STEAM lab needs, support workforce development, prepares students for technology careers, and more. 



Digital Inclusion Fund 2023 recipients include:

Girls Incorporated of Huntsville – Girls In STEM (science, TECHNOLOGY, math)
Girls in STEM is a workforce development program that will teach digital skills and develop a new talent pool of black girls in middle and high school. This grant allows girls from under-resourced communities to connect with technology in an impactful way while interacting with technology mentors.

Huntsville Learning Center – High School STEAM Lab Smart Boards
Huntsville Learning Center’s new High School Program will include a new state-of-the-art STEAM lab as well as specialized ACT prep classes. Grant funding will provide Smart Boards to support each of these two new initiatives.

His Way Recovery Center – Resident GED and Educational Programs
His Way will establish an in-house GED Program for residents, which will include an instructor to teach the classes at their facility, Adult Basic Education software, and Chromebooks for resident use in completing the lessons. Certification programs will also be included.

Huntsville Library Foundation – Equitable Access
The Huntsville Library Foundation will break down language and access barriers and connect people with resources needed to not only secure a job, but also gain skills needed to sustain employment. They will ensure patrons with disabilities or limited English proficiency have equitable access to workforce development programs.

Boys & Girls Clubs of North Alabama – Digital by Design
Boys & Girls Clubs of North Alabama will expand the scope of digital programs that will provide relevant pathways to technology careers.  Currently youth are provided with Computer Science in the form of coding and video production, and this grant will support the establishment of a game development program.

The CAP & GOWN Project – 2024 STEM Summer Institute
The 2024 STEM Summer Institute will provide two weeks of free, rigorous, in-person ACT and college prep, and hands-on STEM learning, and four weeks of programming virtually via Google Classrooms. Students will learn digital literacy and utilize laptops to access resources to prepare for college. 

Thank you to the Community Foundation of Greater Huntsville, and congratulations to this year’s recipients of the Digital Inclusion Fund. We can’t wait to see what you do next! 

Posted by Ryun Jackson, Government & Community Affairs Manager



GFiber celebrates 10 years in Miami

In the vibrant city of Miami, Google Fiber proudly marked a decade of connecting lives and fostering community. The Miami GFiber team recently celebrated this milestone with sponsoring a movie night held on Brickell Key Properties, the very first property to get  Google Fiber Webpass service in Miami in 2013. 

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Serving over 300 apartment and condominium communities across Miami, GFiber has offered fast, reliable connectivity for over a decade, and we’re continuing to connect new communities in the area every day. 

We constantly work to make sure our customers get more than what they need from our service. "My community relies on GFiber for both excellent customer service and reliable internet, ensuring top-notch quality and speed at every stage," said Daniela Alvarez, a GFiber customer and Brickell Key resident.



Our GFiber Miami team loved marking the occasion with our customers and celebrating 10 truly great years. We can’t wait to see what’s next for GFiber in Miami. Thank you to our customers and communities who have shared this journey with us! To find out if GFiber is available in your building, check availability here.

Posted by: Miami GFiber team

Empowering Successful Futures at Faster Speeds

Two years ago, Junior Achievement of Greater Kansas City chose Google Fiber’s 2 Gig service and we’ve never looked back. In recognition of National Entrepreneurship Month, we’re highlighting how Junior Achievement of Greater Kansas City uses reliable, high-speed internet to help achieve our goal of empowering the next generation of professionals, leaders, and entrepreneurs.



Our work at Junior Achievement is centered on three essential pillars: work readiness, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy. We offer a bridge between classrooms and the real world, preparing students for success in an evolving career landscape. Through programs catering to K-12 students, our adaptable curriculum provides valuable resources and lessons  that aren’t part of most schools’ required curriculum. 

Technology plays a huge role in our organization’s success. The decision to switch to Google Fiber's 2-Gig internet two years ago was partially driven by our desire to upgrade our internet, but more importantly, we wanted to elevate the experience of our students at the Youth Learning Lab, presented by the Mallouk Family Foundation.



One of the ways we’re elevating the experience is through our signature program: JA BizTown, presented by Community America Credit Union. This is an immersive experience where students step into the shoes of professionals. In the simulation, they learn how to run their own businesses, manage finances, and hone their ability to make decisions. JA BizTown challenges the next generation of employees to solve the nuanced, real-world issues that businesses face every day in a way that they connect with at their grade level. 

Our simulation relies on a cloud-based platform, and our GFiber's 2-Gig service allows us to ensure the technology enabling JA BizTown runs smoothly, offering a disruption-free environment for our students. With up to 100 devices running simultaneously, reliability is key to the program’s success. 

Each year, Junior Achievement of Greater Kansas City serves 20,000 students across the KC metro, nearly half of which experience capstone experiences onsite at the JA Youth Learning Lab. In addition, Junior Achievement welcomes 5,000 adult volunteers and community members onsite. We partner with more than 18 community organizations to execute our programs. In order to fulfill our mission and expand our impact, we need consistent, reliable connectivity so our programming and simulations don’t miss a beat. On a given day, we know that a dozen things could surprise us, but we have been able to count on the reliability of GFiber’s internet access.



Today, there’s so much pressure on young people to choose their career—and the options only continue to grow. Our programming, like JA BizTown or the 3DE model of education implemented at the high school level, opens their eyes to new opportunities they may not have previously considered. Our partnerships with Kansas City businesses inspire students by offering opportunities that align with their passions in unexpected ways. For instance, participants learn that they don’t have to be a center fielder to work for the Kansas City Royals. They can work in marketing, ticket sales, community outreach—the list goes on. Exposure to business mentors from the Kansas City business landscape further widens students’ perspectives, opening a world of possibilities for their choice-filled futures.

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As we navigate the future of education, especially considering the challenges posed by the pandemic, community support is essential. Working with GFiber as a small business exemplifies the exact kind of collaboration needed to uplift our youth during a pivotal time in their lives. It takes all of us to collectively empower our future leaders and prepare them for success, and we’re so grateful for our supportive community.

If you’re interested in getting involved with Junior Achievement of Greater Kansas City, there are many ways to support. Volunteer your time, share your expertise, and become a mentor to a future leader. Our range of volunteer opportunities give everyone a chance to impact the lives of these students. Together, we are shaping futures, one student at a time.

Posted by Torey Berndt, Director of Marketing and Communications, Junior Achievement of Greater Kansas City 

Wi-Fi Focus: Frequencies and How Your Devices Use Them

Most of you may know generally what Wi-Fi is and how it works (if you don’t, check out this blog post). But did you know there are different Wi-Fi frequencies that devices are able to use for faster wireless speeds?

What is Wi-Fi frequency?

Wi-Fi frequency is the radio wave frequency that Wi-Fi networks use to carry data between the internet and your device. There are three different Wi-Fi frequencies (also called bands) — each with their own benefits and tradeoffs.

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Which frequency is best for you?

Most of the time, you won’t even have to think about it because the majority of Wi-Fi routers will use the best frequency as long as the network name and password are the same across all frequencies. If you need the fastest possible speeds, you should use the 5 GHz or 6 GHz frequency. If you need the best possible range, you should use the 2.4 GHz frequency.

Knowing how frequency works is helpful when making sure your devices are getting the most out of the Wi-Fi technology it’s equipped with, whether that’s Wi-Fi 5, 6, 6E or soon — Wi-Fi 7. We’ve put together a chart you can use as a quick guideline when you need to know which frequencies each Wi-Fi technology supports and how fast they can go.


Posted by Ishan Patel, Product Manager


Kramden Institute Interns- Bridging the digital divide.

Since 2016, Google Fiber has partnered with Kramden Institute in Durham, North Carolina to address digital equity needs in the state. Kramden is a digital inclusion nonprofit with a mission to provide technology tools and training to bridge the digital divide. The digital divide is the gap between those who have affordable access, skills and support to effectively engage online, and those who do not. For the past seven years, GFiber has supported Kramden’s work, funding computer distributions and digital skills training for economically disadvantaged individuals across the state.

In 2022, GFiber’s donation was directed towards stipends for internship positions at Kramden. Nadel Comper was the first intern who received a stipend supported by GFiber’s donation, who joined the team in February 2022. She was ultimately hired as a permanent member of the Kramden team and is now the organization’s Lead Technician. Nadel shares her intern experience:

As a part of my Applied Science degree work study requirement at Wake Tech Community College, I participated in the Kramden Institute internship program, funded by GFiber. The program director suggested Kramden Institute as a great opportunity to gain practical work experience. I researched Kramden and immediately knew it would be the perfect fit.

I enjoyed my internship at Kramden Institute from day one. Since my focus was tech support, I wanted to learn how to troubleshoot and repair devices, the process involved in data transfer, and get experience doing support calls. I got all the above and more.

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My favorite part was helping the education team with digital literacy classes and clubs. Meeting and helping some of the people who directly benefited from Kramden’s mission, really put into perspective how important it is for people to have access to a computer and computer training. I hear all the time from Kramden recipients how they have used the devices we provide to get new jobs, learn new skills, further their education, or help their children in school.

Recently a woman who participated in our digital literacy class had transportation difficulties and needed assistance getting a computer and setting up her Wi-Fi connection. She had previously never owned a computer, and would have been at risk of losing her job. I was glad Kramden was able to provide her with a computer and I was able to assist her to work remotely. Parents have also shared with me how computers provided by Kramden have allowed their children to have access to digital resources, and participate in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) related activities at school- especially during the pandemic.

Now that I work full-time at Kramden Institute as a lead technician, I still get opportunities to work closely with other Kramden interns. I often get feedback from new interns about their experience- each person stating having learned something unique from the internship. One intern who works with our technology manager (who was tasked recently with making changes to how we deploy new devices through our server management), had a great opportunity to learn a little more about server management and deployment, and even inventory management from him.

With the continued growth of Kramden Institute and support from GFiber towards bridging the digital divide, we added two program interns in 2023 who assist our Education team with data entry and computer distribution.

I am grateful to GFiber for assisting me with the opportunity to further my education and experience. I learned a lot during my time as an intern- this set the stage for a bright rewarding career.

Posted by Nadel Comper, Lead Technician

Kramden Institute Interns- Bridging the digital divide.

Since 2016, Google Fiber has partnered with Kramden Institute in Durham, North Carolina to address digital equity needs in the state. Kramden is a digital inclusion nonprofit with a mission to provide technology tools and training to bridge the digital divide. The digital divide is the gap between those who have affordable access, skills and support to effectively engage online, and those who do not. For the past seven years, GFiber has supported Kramden’s work, funding computer distributions and digital skills training for economically disadvantaged individuals across the state.

In 2022, GFiber’s donation was directed towards stipends for internship positions at Kramden. Nadel Comper was the first intern who received a stipend supported by GFiber’s donation, who joined the team in February 2022. She was ultimately hired as a permanent member of the Kramden team and is now the organization’s Lead Technician. Nadel shares her intern experience:

As a part of my Applied Science degree work study requirement at Wake Tech Community College, I participated in the Kramden Institute internship program, funded by GFiber. The program director suggested Kramden Institute as a great opportunity to gain practical work experience. I researched Kramden and immediately knew it would be the perfect fit.

I enjoyed my internship at Kramden Institute from day one. Since my focus was tech support, I wanted to learn how to troubleshoot and repair devices, the process involved in data transfer, and get experience doing support calls. I got all the above and more.

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My favorite part was helping the education team with digital literacy classes and clubs. Meeting and helping some of the people who directly benefited from Kramden’s mission, really put into perspective how important it is for people to have access to a computer and computer training. I hear all the time from Kramden recipients how they have used the devices we provide to get new jobs, learn new skills, further their education, or help their children in school.

Recently a woman who participated in our digital literacy class had transportation difficulties and needed assistance getting a computer and setting up her Wi-Fi connection. She had previously never owned a computer, and would have been at risk of losing her job. I was glad Kramden was able to provide her with a computer and I was able to assist her to work remotely. Parents have also shared with me how computers provided by Kramden have allowed their children to have access to digital resources, and participate in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) related activities at school- especially during the pandemic.

Now that I work full-time at Kramden Institute as a lead technician, I still get opportunities to work closely with other Kramden interns. I often get feedback from new interns about their experience- each person stating having learned something unique from the internship. One intern who works with our technology manager (who was tasked recently with making changes to how we deploy new devices through our server management), had a great opportunity to learn a little more about server management and deployment, and even inventory management from him.

With the continued growth of Kramden Institute and support from GFiber towards bridging the digital divide, we added two program interns in 2023 who assist our Education team with data entry and computer distribution.

I am grateful to GFiber for assisting me with the opportunity to further my education and experience. I learned a lot during my time as an intern- this set the stage for a bright rewarding career.

Posted by Nadel Comper, Lead Technician

20 Gig in the wild

A couple of weeks ago, I was in Paris at Network X, sharing the news that GFiber Labs plans to be among the first to roll out 20 Gig + Wi-Fi 7 before the end of the year. Today, we want to show exactly what the product can do so we took it out for a test spin in my house in Kansas City.



As we’ve previously discussed, we’ve made significant network investments to make 20 Gig speeds possible, but what’s really exciting is the wireless experience with a pre-certified Wi-Fi 7 router. As you can see, it’s fast across the board and enables multiple devices to take advantage of multi-gig speeds, even over Wi-Fi and across multiple floors — which is important because the vast majority of our in-home internet connections happen over Wi-Fi. GFiber collaborated with Actiontec to design and produce a custom, pre-certified Wi-Fi 7 router, even before the Wi-Fi 7 standards are finalized, to ensure that our 20 Gig customers can take advantage of as much of the speed as possible.



The response has been a little overwhelming — we’ve already had thousands of people express interest in getting 20 Gig + Wi-Fi 7 in their homes (and if you’re interested in being part of the limited early access group you can sign up here). We’re glad you’re excited, we are too! You may be curious or have more questions, so we’re hosting an Ask Me Anything on Reddit.com on Monday, Nov 20, at 10:00 AM PT/1:00 PM ET focused exclusively on 20 Gig + Wi-Fi 7. We hope you’ll join us! 

Oh, and just ICYMI:

In a "lab-like" environment:

Total throughput of 15 Gbps across multiple devices achieving multi-gig speeds simultaneously (tablet speed test = 8.0, so 2.3+2.1+2.6+8.0=15!). 
Across the whole house:

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Multi-gig speeds across three floors using Wi-Fi 7 extender with MultiLink Operation (MLO) backhaul

And for gaming devices:

Low latency on multiplayer games using Wi-Fi 7 extender with MLO, eliminating the need to connect directly to router

GFiber Labs is continuing to push on what’s possible for the internet. We’re excited to see what our customers can do with next generation internet, and we’re continuing to work, with great partners like Actiontec, to make sure we’re not just ready for the future, we’re helping define it. 

Posted by Nick Saporito, Head of Product