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Google Invite Hints Fiber Project Expanding To Austin

Posted by timothy on from the beat-the-heat-stay-indoors-with-fiber dept.

New submitter paulbsch writes "With its technology-centric culture, the Silicon Hills of Austin, TX could have been the perfect city for the first iteration of Google Fiber. Austinites will just have to settle with being only the second city to get the ultra high speed service." Right now, this is well-founded supposition, rather than confirmed fact, based on an invitation from Google to a joint event this Tuesday which promises an announcement which will "have a positive impact on Austinites and the future of the city." Another possibility, as PC Magazine points out, is that Google will announce a new Austin office.

3 of 72 comments (clear)

  1. Smack the Incumbents! by Sponge+Bath · · Score: 5, Interesting

    After years enduring the tender mercies of AT&T and Time Warner Cable, broadband consumers in Austin are feeling reamed. I expect competition will result in improved offerings and lower prices from the existing duopoly, as it has wherever municipal or other alternatives are available.

    I recently investigated upgrading my speed and just getting basic pricing information is difficult (AT&T) to impossible (Time Warner). So how much will it cost after the promotional period? "We can't tell you that, sir." Are you fucking kidding me?

  2. Re:$70/mo for TV ... by devforhire · · Score: 3, Interesting

    You can get comparable prices in the US for similar service (except we can't seem to break 25megs down.) They are just not advertised and you need to specifically ask and work with a customer service person to get your bill down that low. The problem in the US is the public, not the businesses. Most people are content to pay the huge prices to the telecom companies because they generally do not know any better or different. Many people in the US also have been duped into think they "need" more than 30 TV channels. We prefer several hundred channels of nothing to watch to 30.

  3. Re:$70/mo for TV ... by kqs · · Score: 3, Insightful

    So you are saying that:
          * cheap plans exist
          * companies hide the existence of these plans
          * people don't know about these plans and have no way to find out about these plans, and for some reason don't ask for these plans

    And from this you decide that the people are the problem, not the companies? Sure, that makes perfect sense. In related news, it's my younger brother's fault that he keeps hitting himself.