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Tag: Austin

  • Tesla Moving Its Headquarters to Texas

    Tesla Moving Its Headquarters to Texas

    Another major company is moving its headquarters out of California, as Tesla is moving its headquarters to Texas.

    California has been losing companies at a record pace. Oracle, HPE and a slew of smaller companies have been leaving, or moving their headquarters out of the state. In fact, 2021 is set to double the rate of defections over 2020.

    Tesla is now poised to follow suit, with CEO Elon Musk announcing the company would move headquarters to Texas at its shareholder meeting.

    “I’m excited to announce we are moving our headquarters to Austin, Texas,” Musk said, according to The Washington Post. “Just to be clear, though, we will be continuing to expand our activities in California. This is not a matter of Tesla leaving California.”

    Cost of housing was a major factor for the move.

    “It’s tough for people to afford houses and a lot of people have to come in from far away,” Musk said. “There’s a limit to how big you can scale in the Bay Area.”

  • Samsung Looking to Build $10 Billion Chipmaking Factory in Texas

    Samsung Looking to Build $10 Billion Chipmaking Factory in Texas

    Samsung is considering a $10 billion factory in Texas, its most advanced to date in the US.

    Samsung is the largest smartphone maker, as well as the largest memory chip maker, but the company lags behind rival TSMC as a semiconductor maker. While Samsung has been working to catch up for some time, there are a number of current factors that could be driving Samsung’s considerations.

    US officials have shown increased interest in revitalizing the US semiconductor business. The early days of the pandemic illustrated the potential shortcomings of being so reliant on China and overseas companies for critical tech components, as multiple companies and industries were paralyzed when China went into lockdown. There has also been increased concern over the security implications of relying on China.

    As a result, there’s never been a better time to invest in the US semiconductor industry. Adding to the opportunity is Intel’s recent troubles, including its decision to outsource production of some of its chips to TSMC, although Samsung was also part of the negotiations.

    According to Bloomberg the company is locking to establish a factory in Austin, one that will eventually be able to fabricate 3 nanometers processors. If the deal moves forward, construction would begin this year, with manufacturing starting as early as 2023. The project could end up costing more than $10 billion.

  • Oracle Relocating to Texas

    Oracle Relocating to Texas

    Oracle has become the latest major company moving its headquarters from California to Texas.

    Wednesday, December 2, Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HEP) announced it was moving its headquarters from California to Houston. Oracle is now the second major company in as many weeks to announce such a move, with plans to move its headquarters to Austin.

    Texas Governor Greg Abbott broke the news via Twitter.

    “We believe these moves best position Oracle for growth and provide our personnel with more flexibility about where and how they work,” Oracle told AFP News.

    “Depending on their role, this means that many of our employees can choose their office location as well as continue to work from home part time or all the time.”

    As the pandemic has transformed the workforce, leading to widespread adoption of remote work, it’s a safe bet HPE and Oracle won’t be the last companies to move to greener pastures.

  • Coronavirus: SXSW Cancelled Due to Coronavirus

    Coronavirus: SXSW Cancelled Due to Coronavirus

    After multiple companies pulled out of the event, SXSW has officially been cancelled by the City of Austin.

    The festival’s organizers said, “We are devastated to share this news with you. ‘The show must go on’ is in our DNA, and this is the first time in 34 years that the March event will not take place. We are now working through the ramifications of this unprecedented situation.

    “As recently as Wednesday, Austin Public Health stated that ‘there’s no evidence that closing SXSW or any other gatherings will make the community safer.’ However, this situation evolved rapidly, and we honor and respect the City of Austin’s decision. We are committed to do our part to help protect our staff, attendees, and fellow Austinites.

    “We are exploring options to reschedule the event and are working to provide a virtual SXSW online experience as soon as possible for 2020 participants, starting with SXSW EDU. For our registrants, clients, and participants we will be in touch as soon as possible and will publish an FAQ.”

    With new confirmed cases popping up all over the world, as well as the United States, governments are increasingly working to limit large gatherings in an effort to get ahead of the outbreak.

  • Liberal Austin Prompts Uber And Lyft To Suspend Service

    Liberal Austin Prompts Uber And Lyft To Suspend Service

    Where are the Libertarians when you need them? Austin voters failed to approve Proposition 1, a proposal supported by Uber and Lyft which would have let the companies self-regulate their contract drivers. Instead, voters let stand an ordinance passed by the Austin City Council requiring third party fingerprint background checks and additional restrictions on the services.

    Uber and Lyft pushed Proposition 1 and threatened to leave Austin if it wasn’t approved and both have now said they are suspending service in Austin as of Monday morning. At issue for the companies is not just more difficulty in getting part-time drivers which is the life blood of the services, but that in requiring drivers to get vigerous fingerprint background checks may move their IRS independent contractor classification closer to becoming an employee. This would substantially raise their costs and could eventually lead to dreaded unionization, which of course would kill both Uber and Lyft, making them more expensive than taxis.

    I suspect that if only people who use Uber and Lyft in Austin voted, Proposition 1 would have passed, because users can clearly see that those services are cleaner, more convenient and safer than taxis ever have been.

  • Uber Is Getting Serious About Food Delivery

    Uber Is Getting Serious About Food Delivery

    Uber has its eyes on much more than just rides.

    Uber is getting serious about food delivery. The company has just updated its app and in places where its UberEATS service is available, the food delivery options is now front and center.

    Instead of simply being another ride option at the bottom, UberEATS is now its own section on the app – right next the the regular ride-hailing button.

    “The new interface is available in UberEats cities. The layout separates RIDES from EATS and creates a more seamless, intuitive experience across services,” said an Uber spokesperson. “We are always experimenting to find new, creative ways to make the Uber app more user friendly.”

    Uber also just announced that UberEATS is now available in Austin.

    “Dig in Austin—#UberEATS has arrived! Starting this Wednesday, you can order lunch from the best Austin restaurants through the Uber app, and get this—we’ll deliver it within 10 minutes or less. Get ready for East Side King, Swift’s Attic, The Peached Tortilla, Banger’s Sausage House & Beer Garden, Chi’Lantro, and a whole lot more!” says the company.

    Uber is clearly looking to expand UberEATS all over the country – job postings indicate interest in hiring UberEATS GMs, operations managers, marketing, and more in cities like Nashville, San Diego, Miami, Philadelphia, and Dallas.

    UberEATS is currently available in New York City, Chicago, Barcelona, and Toronto.

    It’s clear that Uber wants to transport more than just people. Recent reports indicate that the company is also planning a big push into goods delivery as well. Apparently, Uber has already talked with over 400 retailers – some high-end like Neiman Marcus, Louis Vuitton, and Tiffany’s.

    Image via TechCrunch

  • Google Is Testing Self-Driving Cars in Austin

    Last month, a fleet of Google’s self-driving cars hit public roads in California. Before that, testing on private roads had always happened around Mountain View.

    Now, for the first time, Google has taken its self-driving cars outside of California. The company is now testing the technology in Austin, Texas.

    Well, car, that is.

    “It’s summertime, so millions of Americans are packing up the car and hitting the road—and so are we! We’ve chosen Austin, Texas, as a new testing location for our project, and one of our Lexus SUVs is there now, with safety drivers aboard, driving a few square miles north and northeast of downtown Austin. It’s important for us to get experience testing our software in different driving environments, traffic patterns and road conditions—so we’re ready to take on Austin’s pedicabs, pickup trucks, and everything in between. Keep it weird for us, Austin, and visit our website to let us know how we’re driving,” says Google.

    Officials in Austin have expressed their immense support of Google’s ambitions.

    “Austin is special in part because we welcome new technologies that could help improve our daily lives, and we can easily see the potential self-driving cars have to reduce accident rates and congestion, and to provide mobility for people who can’t get around easily,” said Steve Adler, the city’s Mayor.

    “Keeping Austin’s roads safe is one of our highest priorities, so we look forward to seeing how self-driving car technology might someday improve traffic safety, added Police Chief Art Acevedo. “Technology that never gets distracted or tired or irritable behind the wheel could make a real difference.”

    So far, Google’s fleet has been involved in 12 minor accidents – all of which were the other car’s fault. The cars have driven over 1 million miles.

  • Google Now Accepting Fiber Signups In Austin

    Google announced as far back as April that it would be launching Google Fiber in Austin, Texas. In October, the company revealed it would launch in December.

    Well, guess what. December is here, and Google just announced that it is now accepting signups in the city.

    That includes businesses. In a blog post, Google writes:

    Access to abundant, super fast Internet can open up new opportunity for communities — and from the day we announced our plans to build in Austin, the city has embraced the possibilities that will come from Internet that’s up to 100 times faster than today’s average speeds. Today we’re kicking off Google Fiber signups for Austinites, their neighbors, and local small businesses in the South and Southeast areas of the city. This is just the beginning. We’ll be opening new areas of the city for signups on an ongoing basis, and we hope to bring Fiber to every neighborhood in Austin that wants it.

    Whether you’re in a home, apartment, or a small business, you’ll notice that getting Google Fiber is a little different. We don’t choose which areas get Fiber — you and your neighbors do. Last year I shared an early look at how this will work; now you’ll be able to see this process live so that you know how many more people need to sign up in order to bring Fiber to your neighborhood. For Austinites in neighborhoods (or ‘fiberhoods’ as we call them) that are open for signups, you can choose one of three Google Fiber plans.

    If you’re in the city, and looking for an apartment to rent where you can take advantage of Google Fiber, Google has an apartment finder service available here.

    Image via Google

  • Google Fiber Heads To Austin, Wants To Help You Find An Apartment

    At a press event, Google announced that Google Fiber will come to Austin in December, where it will reside alongside AT&T’s gigabit internet.

    Google announced plans to launch Fiber in Austin back in April of last year.

    “It’s a mecca for creativity and entrepreneurialism, with thriving artistic and tech communities, as well as the University of Texas and its new medical research hospital. We’re sure these folks will do amazing things with gigabit access, and we feel very privileged to have been welcomed to their community,” Google said in a blog post at the time.

    The news comes a little late, as Google had initially expected to have Fiber up and running in Austin by the middle of this year, but what’s a few months when it comes to having good internet service?

    GigaOm reports that Google will start deploying the service in the south and southeast parts of town before gradually rolling it out to other areas.

    Austin’s KUT.org quotes the company from the event:

    “We can only launch one seventh of the city at the time,” Mark Strama, head of Google Fiber’s Austin operations, said of the slow rollout. “The network will include 3000 miles of new fiber optic cables. It’s like going to Canada and back.”

    According to Strama, new users that live in South and Southeast Austin can signup for Google Fiber by the end of the year. The company says the process is taking longer because the fiber network had to be planned and designed from scratch.

    Google has an apartment finder service showing properties that are joining Google Fiber. It’s probably a busy day for those property managers. You can take a look here.

    Image via Google

  • Time Warner To Boost Internet Speeds in Austin

    As Time Warner and Comcast continue to work out their big merger, internet and cable TV customers across the U.S. are preparing for an even larger company to take over their local cable monopolies. There is a spark of hope, though.

    In the places where Google has announced it will install its Google Fiber initiative competition has, unsurprisingly, spurred otherwise lazy companies to actually improve their service. Just months ago AT&T announced that it will offer a competing gigabit internet and TV service in Austin, Texas. Now, Time Warner is waking up and doing its best to compete as well.

    Time Warner Cable today announced that it will be significantly raising internet speeds for its customers in the Austin area. These customers will not have to pay any extra money for these new speeds, but will see their download speeds, in some cases, rise by over 600%. The speed increase will begin rolling out to customers sometime this summer.

    Time Warner customers in Austin with the most basic internet service package will see their 2 Mbps download service rise to 3 Mbps. Those with the “standard” package will see a boost in download speed from 15 Mbps to 50 Mbps. The gains are even more significant for the cable company’s higher-priced internet packages – the “Ultimate” package will see download speeds rise from 50 Mbps to 300 Mbps.

    These speeds don’t come close to the gigabit internet service AT&T and Google will be offering, but Time Warner is hoping that it will be enough for existing customers to stick with cable. The company is touting the fact that these speed increases will roll out all over its service area around Austin while Google is still slowly installing its infrastructure.

    Of course, the very fact that Time Warner can manage to raise its internet speeds for everyone in Austin puts the lie to the common cable company defenses that speed upgrades are too expensive, or that customers don’t really want higher speeds, or even that bandwidth caps are necessary to reign in the crazy amounts of traffic customers are using. The very fact that Time Warner is raising speeds in Austin – one of the only places in the U.S. that local cable is now facing competition – perfectly demonstrates just how complacent cable companies have become and how unfairly customers under cable monopolies throughout the U.S. are being treated.

  • Google Fiber To Offer Free Internet To Austin-Based Community Organizations

    This week, it was revealed that AT&T would beat Google Fiber to the punch in bringing fiber-backed Internet to Austin, Texas. The incumbent telecom company would also match Google Fiber on price by offering gigabit Internet for $70 a month. Now Google is firing back.

    Google Fiber announced today that it will be donating ten years of free Gigabit Internet to 100 community organizations in Austin. The organizations receiving this free Internet range from museums and theaters to public libraries and schools. You can see a full list here.

    Google notes that these organizations aren’t guaranteed to receive free Internet. Just like in Kansas City, these organizations must be part of a fiberhood. That will require the residential houses in the area to sign up for Google Fiber thus giving these organizations free Internet. These organizations will also play a hand in convincing the local residents to sign up for Google Fiber instead of AT&T’s new service.

    Here’s a short video detailing what Austin community organizations would do with free Gigabit Internet:

    While all of this is nice, Google admits that it will be a while before the fiber rollout begins in Austin. It will take Google until at least late 2014 to start getting free Internet to these organizations. Until then, people can either wait for Google Fiber or sign up for AT&T’s GigaPower service. For those who lack patience, just know that AT&T’s cheap fiber Internet will require you hand over your browser history so they can sell you ads. Oh, there’s a data cap too.

    [Image: googlefiberofficial/YouTube]

  • AT&T Will Offer Gigabit Internet In Austin For $70 A Month

    AT&T Will Offer Gigabit Internet In Austin For $70 A Month

    Earlier this year, Google announced that it would be bringing Google Fiber to Austin at some point in 2014. The local incumbent ISP – AT&T – immediately announced afterward that it would do the same. Many thought that AT&T’s gigabit service would cost more than Google Fiber, but that’s not the case.

    AT&T announced this week that it’s starting to roll out its GigaPower Fiber Internet service to four neighborhoods in Austin. While the 1Gbps speeds aren’t happening just yet, subscribers in these four neighborhoods can get 300 Mbps now and then be upgraded to 1Gbps later at no extra charge.

    So, how much is this going to cost? AT&T is competing directly with Google on price by charging only $70 a month for the service. If you want TV, that will bump the price up to $120. This is the exact same price as Google Fiber and it’s a pretty good deal.

    But wait, there’s always a catch, isn’t there? For you to get AT&T’s gigabit Internet service at $70 a month, you must agree to enroll in AT&T’s Internet Preferences program. The program allows AT&T to track your Web search and browser history to deliver targeted ads. In short, you’re selling your privacy in exchange for a discount.

    Fret not, however, as AT&T will also be offering the same Gigabit Internet without the privacy-infringing bits. This plan will cost $99 a month, and an extra $50 for U-Verse TV. It certainly costs more, but many people will probably choose this plan just so they aren’t being tracked by AT&T.

    To perhaps allay fears that AT&T is turning into an even bigger brother, the company told Gigaom that it has strict privacy standards in place when it comes to its Internet Preferences program:

    We use various methods to collect web browsing information, and we are currently reviewing the methods we may use for the Internet Preferences program. Whichever method is used, we will not collect information from secure (https) or otherwise encrypted sites, such as online banking or when a credit card is used to buy something online on a secure site. And we won’t sell your personal information to anyone, for any reason.

    So, all in all, it doesn’t really sound all that bad, right? You can just pay a bit more and AT&T won’t go snooping through your data. Is there any reason for Austin residents to wait for Google Fiber? Well, if you plan on using more than a terabyte of data a month, you might just want to wait. AT&T plans to implement a 1TB data cap on its gigabit service, and will charge $10 for each additional 50GB you use a month. In comparison, Google Fiber has no data cap.

    [Image: Wikimedia Commons]

  • AT&T Takes on Google With Austin Fiber Network

    AT&T Takes on Google With Austin Fiber Network

    AT&T today announced that it will, for sure, be installing 1 Gigabit fiber network in Austin, Texas. The company had announced in April that it intended to expand U-verse to the city. AT&T is currently deploying the network and intends to begin offering its U-verse service through fiber connections by December.

    The announcement is significant because Austin is one of the next cities to get Google Fiber. Google made the announcement back in April as well, and construction on the network is set to begin sometime next year. The Google Fiber network is expected to roll out in Austin sometime in mid-2014.

    AT&T has not yet announced pricing for its coming fiber connections in Austin. Its services will “initially” reach tens of thousands of possible customers in Austin and its suburbs. An expansion of the service next year will expand the network even further. Austin residents are being invited to vote on which neighborhoods will see U-verse access first.

    “Austin embodies innovation and social consciousness, and is the heart of a vibrant, ever-evolving tech culture and entrepreneurial spirit,” said Dave Nichols, president of AT&T Texas. “With our all-fiber U-verse services, we are building the foundation for a new wave of innovation for Austin’s consumers, businesses, and civic and educational institutions. It’s about engaging the full community and empowering the city and its people with all that technology can offer us. This investment will help attract new business and new jobs to Austin.”

    Nichols’ comments echo those of Google at the time it announced its Google Fiber expansion. AT&T’s U-verse rollout also demonstrates, once again, that Google’s fiber initiative is pushing competition to offer real high-speed broadband.

  • Media Falsely Reports Gorilla for Being Sexist

    Meet Patrick, a 23-year-old single male Texan residing in Dallas, who is also a 430-pound Western lowland gorilla that was recently mistaken for hating women (gorilla women in particular). You see, a lot of media reports (MailOnline, E!, Fox News, ABC) picked up on the sensationalism that Patrick was a sexist ape, when really, he just prefers to be alone, indifferent to other gorillas. The media went bananas with the story (a sexist gorilla?), but The Dallas Zoo’s Official Facebook page said otherwise:

    Yes, Patrick will be moving out of his humble abode at Dallas Zoo where he’s been living for 18 years. The decision for his move had been years in the making, with “gorilla experts” all over the United States advising on the best  choice of action for Patrick. He will be sent over to the Riverbanks Zoo and Gardens in Columbia, South Carolina.

    It also started back in April 13th, 1990 at the Bronx Zoo in New York, where little baby Patrick was born and abandoned by his mama. From there, he was transferred to the Toronto Zoo, where he was hand-raised with another male ape companion around the same age. As little innocent and motherless Patrick grew, he became less and less social with other apes.

    According to the Patrick’s Departure Q&A on the Dallas Zoo Facebook page, Patrick is leaving Dallas “due to maternal neglect” and because he was “hand raised”.

    “He hasn’t socialized well with gorillas and prefers his own company. We’ve tried for years to create social relationships for Patrick, with little success. Two separate female groups were introduced to him, but he was indifferent and the relationships never progressed to a stable social grouping. At Riverbanks, he will continue to live alone, but in close proximity to other gorillas.”

    The move is not meant to punish Patrick, but instead, is the best choice of action that will serve to benefit him and his solitary life style.  “It’s not punitive in any way.”

    The Dallas Zoo’s Facebook page announced on September 23rd that Patrick will have a going away party on September 28th through 29th. The celebration is titled “We’ll Miss Ya, Patrick!”, and zoo admission is only $5 for everyone three and older. There will be mini cupcakes.

    (Photos courtesy of The Dallas Zoo’s Facebook page)

  • Flight Diverted Due to “Unruly Passenger”

    Flight Diverted Due to “Unruly Passenger”

    An AirTran flight left Baltimore Monday afternoon, making it’s way to Austin, Texas. During the flight a man, who is being described as an “unruly passenger”, tried to open the emergency exit at the back of the plane.

    AirTran Flight 265 was forced to land at Memphis International Airport at around 6:30 p.m. The plane was over Little Rock, Arkansas when the incident occurred, and the pilots chose to land in Memphis because it was the closest AirTran airport. “It’s the kind of thing you hear about and worry about and it was handled completely professionally and calmly,” said Patty Solum, who was a passenger aboard the flight.

    The man, who has not been identified, was restrained by off-duty military passengers until the plane completed the emergency landing. None of the 120 passengers or 5 crew members on board were hurt. However, they were all forced to evacuate the plane once it had landed in Memphis.

    The passengers were then interviewed by the FBI and were allowed to re-board the plane and continue their flight to Austin at around 8:30 p.m. One passenger said that the man seemed to be suicidal and was claiming that he no longer wanted to live.

    “Everyone was really calm and in good spirits and understanding,” said Tara Hamilton, who was on the flight along with her son. “Luckily there were military personnel on the plane and they were really accommodating. It could have been way worse but it wasn’t that bad.”

    http://youtu.be/q1pw51ftEeE

    The Memphis International Airport Vice President of Operations, John Geraud, said that, at the time of his arrest, the man did not appear to be intoxicated, suicidal, or unruly.

    The FBI and the TSA detained the man and questioned him for two hours about his actions. It has not yet been determined whether or not charges will be filed against him.

  • Armstrong Sells Estate in Austin, Texas

    Armstrong Sells Estate in Austin, Texas

    Lance Armstrong has had a rough couple of years. Once the most beloved athlete in the U.S. for his story of overcoming cancer to become a seven-time Tour de France winner, the cyclist has now fallen into disgrace. After years of litigation, the International Cycling Union (UCI) and the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency last year stripped Armstrong of his titles and banned him from the sport of cycling. Armstrong has lost the support of sponsors and is now facing several lawsuits related to the doping scandal. He recently gave an interview with Oprah Winfrey in which he issued an apology and admitted to doping.

    This week, the Austin American-Statesman is reporting that Armstrong has sold his 1.7-acre estate in Austin, Texas. The report stated that Al Koehler, the founder of Royalty Clearinghouse, has taken out a $3.1 million loan to purchase Armstrong’s estate, which includes a 7,850-square foot house.

    Armstrong bought the estate in 2004 and renovated it, hanging his seven yellow Tour de France victory jersey’s on the walls of the house. The athlete also owns a home on Hawaii’s Big Island.

    Armstrong was recently spotted in Los Angeles and is rumored to be in talks with movie studios over a biopic of his life. If the cyclist is planning a more permanent move to L.A., he could look into buying the infamous Playboy Bunny House, which just went up for sale and is located directly across the street from the Playboy Mansion.

  • AT&T: We’re Planning 1Gbps Fiber in Austin Too

    AT&T: We’re Planning 1Gbps Fiber in Austin Too

    To say that AT&T is stealing Google’s thunder isn’t really the right way to put it, but Ma Bell is using the buzz surrounding Google Fiber’s big launch into Austin as a way to springboard its own plans for a ultra-high speed network.

    Today, AT&T has announced intentions to build its own advanced fiber optic infrastructure “capable of delivering speeds up to 1 gigabit per second” in Austin, Texas.

    No other details – like the when and how much – have been divulged. We’re guessing that AT&T will be unwilling to offer anything like Google Fiber’s free internet (with construction fee, of course). But as far as the pricing goes, it remains to be seen.

    No surprise here, but AT&T makes a point to say that they don’t expect the project to “materially alter their anticipated 2013 capital expenditures.”

    Also, AT&T expects to be given the same terms as Google in the city of Austin:

    AT&T’s expanded fiber plans in Austin anticipate it will be granted the same terms and conditions as Google on issues such as geographic scope of offerings, rights of way, permitting, state licenses and any investment incentives.

    Of course, all of this comes on the heels of Google’s announcement that they will be expanding their Google Fiber initiative to Austin in mid-2014. Google says the price will be similar to what it is in Kansas City, and that they will be giving the service free to public institutions like schools, libraries, and hospitals.

    No matter what, this is great for the residents of Austin, who now have multiple companies looking to give them crazy fast internet. Some cities have all the luck.

  • Google Fiber Coming to Austin, Texas by Mid-2014 (Really, Officially, Definitely)

    Google, after a few days of speculation, has officially announced that Austin, Texas will join Kansas City, KS, and Kansas City, MO as the next Google Fiber-connected city.

    “Today, we’re pleased to announce with Mayor Lee Leffingwell that Austin, Texas is becoming a Google Fiber city. It’s a mecca for creativity and entrepreneurialism, with thriving artistic and tech communities, as well as the University of Texas and its new medical research hospital. We’re sure these folks will do amazing things with gigabit access, and we feel very privileged to have been welcomed to their community,” says Google in a blog post.

    Google hopes to begin construction in 2014, and will be asking neighborhoods about the service to determine the areas of the highest interest. That’s where they’ll start building first. Google hopes to get their first customers up and running by the middle of 2014.

    Google says that they are still trying to work out pricing, but they think it will be similar to what’s happening in Kansas City: $120 a month for Gigabit internet plus TV, $70 a month for just the Gigabit internet, or free internet with a $300 one-time construction fee.

    Public institutions within Austin are going to get the Google Fiber hookup for free. This includes schools, hospitals, libraries, and more – to be determined alongside the city of Austin.

    “We believe the Internet’s next chapter will be built on gigabit speeds, and we hope this new Google Fiber city will inspire communities across America to think about what ultrafast connectivity could mean for them,” says Google VP of Access Services Milo Medin.

    If you live in Austin, and want to sign up to be notified when you can sign up, check here.

  • Don’t Expect To See Nationwide Google Fiber Anytime Soon

    It was revealed over the weekend that Austin, Texas will be the next city to receive freedom from monopolistic ISPs thanks to Google Fiber. Of course, the announcement kicked off a new round of people from other cities asking Google to bring Fiber to them next. Unfortunately, the sad truth is that most may never see Google Fiber.

    Ars Technica reports that two analysts for Alliance Bernstein – Carlos Kirjner and Ram Parameswaran – have calculated the costs of bringing Google Fiber to most of the nation. Over five years, it would cost Google $11 billion, or four percent of its current net worth, to realize the dream of many across the nation.

    So, why is Google Fiber so expensive? First and foremost, the infrastructure costs are astronomical. The main reason you don’t see many established ISPs upgrading their services is for this very reason. Upgrading infrastructure takes time and money – both of which most ISPs aren’t willing to sacrifice when most of their customer base is apparently happy with what they have.

    The other major hurdle is of the regulatory kind. Google was lucky enough to get a range of perks from Kansas City, and Austin must be offering the same perks as well. Some cities may not be as kind, while other cities may have stricter regulations in place in regards to how utility poles, which are used to hang fiber wires, can be used.

    In short, there are a number of obstacles standing in the way of nationwide Google Fiber deployment. The projected cost is definitely one of the main reasons, but there’s a number of others that Google must take into account before deciding to bring its service to another city.

    That being said, relying on Google alone for Fiber is a fool’s game. There are other groups, like Gigabit Squared, that are working to bring Fiber to other cities across the nation. The FCC is also pushing for more gigabit networks across the nation.

    Google didn’t start the Fiber craze, but it definitely helped give it some exposure. We can only hope that the move to Austin encourages more cities and organizations to start building out Fiber networks in other cities across the nation.

  • Google Fiber’s Next Stop Is Austin, Texas

    The rumors are true. Residents of Austin, Texas can celebrate the imminent arrival of Google Fiber.

    The news doesn’t come from Google of the city of Austin (yet), but rather a press release by Gig.U, a coalition of 30+ universities that promote ultra-high-speed brandband in the U.S.

    “Gig.U congratulates Google and the City of Austin for their initiative to bring a world-leading network to one of the world’s great research university communities. This effort will pay enormous dividends for the country, as it will help develop the human capital America needs to lead a global economy that increasingly creates value with big data and big bandwidth,” says Gig.U Executive Director Blair Levin.

    Earlier we told you that Google had inadvertently published a blog post stating that Google Fiber was in fact on its way to Austin. The post was quickly removed. Reports also indicated that Google was readying a launch event, and had sent out some invitations.

    Austin will become the third location to get Google’s high-speed service – as right now it’s only available in Kansas City, Kansas and Kansas City, Missouri. There’s no word yet on exactly when and how fast Google will be deploying the network in the city.

    We’ll update with more information as we hear it.

    [via Engadget]

  • Google Fiber Probably Getting Ready For Austin Launch

    It looks like Google is getting ready to launch Google Fiber in Austin, Texas. The news was leaked prematurely, as reports came out that Google was readying what was thought to be a launch event.

    The invitations for the event reportedly said:

    On Tuesday, April 9, at 11 a.m., the City of Austin and Google will make a very important announcement that will have a positive impact on Austinites and the future of the city. We anticipate more than 100 community leaders and elected officials to be in attendance to celebrate this announcement. The event invitation is attached for your convenience. Although we cannot share the details of the announcement with you in advance, we know readers will want to learn more, so we encourage you to join us on Tuesday.

    It appears that Google prematurely posted the news on its blog, before taking it down. Engadget reports (via a tipster) that the news section on the Google Fiber “Cities” page was showing “Google Fiber’s Next Stop: Austin, Texas”.

    That is currently not showing up on the page. The latest Google Fiber news at this point is the April Fools’ joke about Google Fiber Poles.