When Google Fiber comes to town, it generally doesn’t take long for broadband providers that already serve the area to respond, as news today from Windstream’s Kinetic business unit illustrates.
Within a week after the announcement that Google Fiber would bring 1 Gbps and 2 Gbps service to parts of Concord, North Carolina, Windstream announced that it would double the number of locations in the city where it has Kinetic fiber internet available.
Concord is a fast-growing city in the Charlotte metropolitan area that had a population of just under 80,000 in 2010. On Monday, Google Fiber announced its plans for Concord and other Charlotte area communities in a blog post.
In an FAQ document about Concord, Google Fiber said it would “work with the city, private [home owners’ associations] and property managers to reach . . . as many households as possible.”
The company also said it would “work to complete as much of the city as possible through 2021-2022 and if necessary . . . will continue to build out into future years.”
Kinetic was more specific, noting that it would roll out fiber to 16,000 more locations in the first half of 2022. Currently, 18,000 homes and businesses have gigabit service available to them, meaning that “more than half of Concord residents will have fiber access,” Kinetic said in a press release.
A Kinetic spokesperson provided Telecompetitor with some additional details in an email:
- 31% of Concord customers have 1 Gbps service available to them
- 61% can get 100 Mbps or higher
- 72% can get 50 Mbps or higher
- 82% can get 25 Mbps or higher
Kinetic is currently offering attractive promotional pricing of $37 a month for one year for service at speeds up to 400 Mbps. Gigabit service is available for $37 for the first 90 days. When the promotions are over, the price for gigabit service goes to $67 and the price for the 400 Mbps service goes to $55, a spokesperson said.
There is no cap or contract required.
In comparison, Google Fiber plans to charge $70 a month for 1 Gbps service and $100 a month for 2 Gbps service. The company won’t be offering speeds slower than a gigabit.
Google Fiber first began offering gigabit service a decade or so ago. A few years ago it scaled back on deployments but more recently has been pursuing them again and has added the 2 Gbps speed tier.
Updated with new information from Windstream Kinetic
