My, that was fast. It hasn’t even been a full day since Google announced Google Fiber’s future rollout in Austin, TX and already a challenger appears. AT&T has announced intentions to build a Gigabit fiber optic network in the same city.
AT&T’s announcement is short and vaguely “me-too”ish. There are no details on timing or pricing, which is a fairly large commission. Google Fiber’s pricing is already known at:
- $120 for 1 Gbit down internet, 2TB of DVR storage, and a Nexus 7 to use as a remote.
- $170 for 1 Gbit up/down and no TV.
- $300 up front and no monthly fee for seven years for 5 Mbps down/1Mbps up.
It’s unclear what AT&T can offer that beats any of those offers, especially that last one. Look for the likelihood of even more internet providers popping up with their own versions of Fiber as talk about and desire for 1 gigabit speeds continues to spread. This could potentially be a situation where the consumer could win big, no matter what.
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