Google formally announced its plan to lay thousands of miles of fiber-optic cables throughout the Triangle as part of its Google Fiber service, bringing homes and businesses in seven municipalities in the Triangle area internet service up to 100 times faster than a basic broadband connection.
Google representatives made the announcement next to Governor Pat McCrory and representatives from all seven municipalities that will receive the ultra-high-speed internet service in coming years at an event in the NC Museum of History Tuesday afternoon.
Though the company hasn’t announced when the service will begin in the Triangle or when it will start construction, Google Fiber will lay cables in Raleigh, Durham, Carrboro, Cary, Chapel Hill, Garner and Morrisville.
McCrory said, with these kinds of investments in technology, North Carolina is on its way to becoming the “21st Century Digital Infrastructure State.”
The Google Fiber announcement continues North Carolina’s goal for the Triangle to become part of the “national innovative triangle,” which would also include Silicone Valley in California and the greater Boston area, McCrory said.
The advanced technology in Google Fiber and the talent coming out of the universities within the Triangle are a selling point to help achieve that goal.
“It’s going to be the thing that helps in education, it’s going to be the thing that helps us create jobs, and it’s going to help us gain access to everybody,” McCrory said.
This kind of internet connection could have implications for university connectivity and research, as it could allow for researchers to transfer files with huge amounts of data.
Internet speeds of this caliber would allow the average user to record up to eight TV shows at once or load a YouTube video instantly, according to Google representatives.
“This kind of internet is awesome, especially this time of year when it lets you stream ACC basketball without any buffering,” said Michael Slinger, a Google representative.
Once operating, Google Fiber will offer a gigabit internet connection for about $70 per month as well as HD television access for an additional $60.
The Triangle is one of four areas Google chose to add to its Google Fiber service market out of a pool of 21 different metropolitan areas across the U.S. In addition to the Raleigh-Durham area, Google also chose Atlanta, Charlotte and Nashville for its gigabit service.
Google’s service currently operates in only three other markets throughout the country, including the areas around Kansas City and Prove, Utah.
Representatives said the company will be spending the next couple of months finalizing blue-print plans before it begins constructing in the Triangle.
Google plans to hire a small team locally to help get the new service up and running in the Triangle.
Raleigh Mayor Nancy McFarlane said broadband is the next generation’s economic development infrastructure to advance education and research opportunities in the Triangle.
Because Google Fiber is coming to the areas surrounding Raleigh as well as the city itself, it could open doors for more collaboration between municipalities that may have not been possible in the past, McFarlane said.
McCrory mentioned that last week, Ink.com named Raleigh a better city for start-up companies than Silicon Valley, which is in part due to the “steady stream of talent coming out of our schools and universities.”
