Google Fiber nixes free Internet offering in Kansas City
April 11, 2016 | Bobby Burch
It’s often said there’s no such thing as a free lunch.
And in Google’s case, there’s no such thing a free fiber connection — at least anymore.
The tech titan last week nixed its free Internet offering, which dished out download speeds of 5 megabits-per-second and upload speeds of 1 mbps. Google has offered the free service — which required a one-time $300 construction fee — since its expansion into Kansas City about four years ago.
The company, based in Mountain View, Calif., replaced the free offering with a $50 per month plan that offers 100 megabits per second. The plan has no data caps, but doesn’t include added features of the pricer gigabit plans such as 1 terabyte of cloud storage with Google Drive or Gmail.
Google Fiber recently celebrated the five year anniversary of when it first announced that the service would be coming to Kansas City.
Google in March announced that it would be offering “fiber phone” service in its fiber cities, which includes Kansas City, Kan., Kansas City, Mo., Provo, Utah and Austin, Texas. The service — which provides unlimited local and nationwide calling — costs $10 per month.
Google is now expanding its fiber service into several other cities, including Atlanta, Charlotte, Nashville, Raleigh-Durham, Salt Lake City and San Antonio.
Google will continue to offer free Internet access to people in affordable housing developments without construction or equipment fees, according to ARS Technica.
In February, Google Fiber began working with the Housing Authority of Kansas City to connect its super-fast, gigabit connection to residents of local public housing properties for free. Google launched the program at West Bluff Townhomes in Kansas City, Mo., connecting all 100 homes to its service. Through Google’s partnership with ConnectHome, a federal initiative to speed Internet adoption by families living in public housing, families who sign up for access may also purchase discounted devices and learn new computer skills.
Featured Business
2016 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Hollywood Animation Academy secures home at Centriq; set to begin first classes in January
Hollywood Animation Academy is leaping from the drawing board to live action in January with its first group of enrolled students. Founded by veteran director and animator Gavin Dell, the trade school is set to prepare students for jobs in the film, gaming, and television industry. Dell, an Overland Park native, returned to Kansas City…
KC duo opens candy shop at Mizzou, bringing familiar flavors to students far from home
COLUMBIA, Missouri — A pair of Mizzou students from the Kansas City area are providing international students on campus with a taste of home. Kogo’s Kandies sells candy and treats from other countries, with the goal of fostering a more inclusive campus environment at the University of Missouri, said co-founders Jacob Burrell-Kogo and Henry Accardo.…
Custom digital avatar tech, affordable housing startup among Scale’s third cohort
Startland News’ Startup Road Trip series explores innovative and uncommon ideas finding success in rural America and Midwestern startup hubs outside the Kansas City metro. This series is possible thanks to the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, which leads a collaborative, nationwide effort to identify and remove large and small barriers to new business creation. COLUMBIA,…
Vytelle doubles its bovine IVF lab capacity; outpacing goals since its $13.2M round
A five-year plan initiated by Vytelle’s Series A funding round called for the agtech startup to double its laboratory capacity to produce bovine embryos through in vitro fertilization. Just a year later, the Lenexa-headquarted company already has opened its fifth new lab. Vytelle’s latest facility — in Franklin, Tennessee — is accessible to beef and dairy…