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Google reveals where AT&T, Comcast, Time Warner Cable will next offer Gbps broadband

Fresh cable-laying for telcos to sniff out

Google has named the next four areas in the US to get its gigabit-a-second fiber broadband.

The advertising giant said on Tuesday it will next roll out high-speed connections to 18 cities in and around Atlanta, GA; Charlotte, NC; Raleigh-Durham, NC; and Nashville, TN.

Charlotte city officials had indicated they were expecting to be named as one of the next places to feel Google's cable.

The expansion will bring the total number of areas with Google Fiber deployments to seven: the California biz already offers fiber broadband in and around Kansas City, MO, Austin, TX, and Provo, UT.

"Bringing Google Fiber to these cities is a long-term investment," wrote Google Fiber vice president Dennis Kish in a blog post.

"We’ve been working closely with city leaders over the past year on a joint planning process to get their communities ready for Google Fiber—and now the really hard work begins."

Google charges $70 a month for gigabit internet, $120 if you want TV with it, or free if you're happy with 5Mbit/s for the downlink. Only the freebie option requires a $300 installation fee. Despite the price tag, the service is hotly anticipated in the few chosen cities.

The presence of Google Fiber also has the side-effect of spurring rival carriers, such as AT&T, to offer their own high-speed broadband services in the area.

Google said that it would need "a few months" to plan the cable installation around existing wires and pipelines, at which point the company will begin installing.

Later this year, the Chocolate Factory will also make its decision on where the next set of Fiber rollouts will take place. Five areas are being considered: Portland, OR; San Jose, CA; Salt Lake City, UT; Phoenix, AZ; and San Antonio, TX. ®

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