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
Bluetooth your burnt ends: BBQ tech startup fires up new way to keep tabs on those slabs
FireBoard is smoking toward its seventh office in seven years as hiring and product development heat up for the ever-expanding Kansas City-based maker of cloud-connected digital thermometers — a staple tool of many BBQ enthusiasts and restauranteurs. It’s latest addition: the FireBoard Spark, an entry-level meat thermometer with a lower price point than previous models,…
Nothing speaks like flavor: How Johnson County’s favorite empanada stand plans to reach more ‘happy tummies’ (and where to find them)
When Sonia Sandoval moved to America from Venezuela, language was a barrier, she recalled. Rather than keep to herself, Sandoval found a more meaningful form of communication: food. “I started [cooking] when I was 11 years old,” said Sandoval, who co-founded the pop-up Venezuelan food concept, Happy Tummy, with her husband, Juan Paredes. “I…
She’s one of the Chamber’s biggest ‘Superstar’ success stories; Why your company could be the next
Editor’s note: The Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce is a non-financial partner of Startland News, which serves as the media partner for the Small Business Superstars program. The Small Business Superstar program did more than convert Jannae Gammage into a new Chamber member, she said; it exposed her to the power of opening doors…
How this Waldo burger stand crafts the tastiest patties in the cosmos (and where its ground round galaxy is expanding next)
Keep it simple and smashed, said Jacob Kruger. “I have always been a big fan of restaurants and businesses that have a very simplistic approach,” said Kruger, who serves as the head chef (or “Burger Boy”) at Cosmo Burger, located within Dodson’s Bar and Commons in Waldo — and coming soon to Lenexa Public Market.…