It’s been a couple of years since Google started building its gigabit network in Kansas City — and attitudes toward ultra-high-speed networks have changed a lot in that time.
Initially many people saw gigabit service to the home as overkill. But skeptics now seem to see the logic of future-proofing networks, particularly now that network operators have found creative ways of minimizing construction costs — such as seeking synergies with stakeholders or beginning construction in individual neighborhoods when a pre-determined number of residents have anted up a deposit toward future service.
Telecompetitor has reported on numerous network operators that announced gigabit network plans this year including:
- AT&T in Austin, Texas
- C Spire in Mississippi
- Cedar Falls Utilities in Cedar Falls, Iowa
- CenturyLink in Las Vegas and Omaha
- GCI in Anchorage
- Frontier in Carbondale, Ill.
- Gigabit Squared and Zayo in Chicago
- Greenlight in Wilson,N.C.
- Google Fiber in Provo, Utah and Austin, Texas
- Leverett Broadband Committee in Leverett, Mass.
- Home Telecom in Nexton, South Carolina
And all of these projects were announced after the Institute for Self-Reliance early this year identified 35 gigabit projects in the U.S., including several that resulted from the Gig. U initiative to bring ultra high speed broadband to university communities.
Telecompetitor looks forward to bringing news about more gigabit networks to you in 2014.
In the meantime, you can read about other important broadband developments of 2013 in a year-end wrap-up published on the Telecompetitor Plus site. Click here to register for a free trial subscription to Telecompetitor Plus.
