Read more of the Story at The Nashville Business Journal
The wait for Google Fiber is officially over — at least for a handful of Nashville customers.
The gigabit internet service that first turned its eyes toward Nashville back in early 2014 and confirmed its intention to launch here in January 2015 will start serving customers in four apartment and condo buildings today, also the grand opening of Google’s “Fiber Space,” its retail hub in the Gulch.
Martha Ivester is Google Fiber’s Nashville community manager.
Enlarge
Martha Ivester is Google Fiber’s Nashville community manager.
Photo by Josh Anderson for the Nashville Business Journal
Google’s selection of Nashville as a fiber city (now the fifth to get hooked up to the network) has long been seen as validation of the city’s reputation as a growing tech hub, as well as both a technical and competitive advantage to further grow that sector and others. Young, forward-thinking workers are attracted to the fast speeds of a “gig,” and the “Google” name adds even more cool cachet.
Starting today, residents of the Icon in the Gulch (where the Fiber Space is located), the Element Music Row, the Rhythm at Music Row and the Bristol on Broadway can pick up a self-installation kit at the Fiber Space and start surfing at speeds nearly 100 times faster than standard American internet speeds right away (assuming they select a gig-only, no TV plan). Another 200 buildings or so are also on track to get Google Fiber, and the company has launched a new “apartment finder” tool Nashvillians can use to see if their building is on the list.
“Our intent is over the next several weeks and months to bring more buildings online,” said Martha Ivester, Google Fiber’s Nashville community manager. But, she continued, “It’s not as simple as ‘Let’s build it and let’s flick a switch.’ We’re going to just keep adding buildings and neighborhoods as we’re able.”
The construction of the network has certainly not been as simple as flicking a switch. It’s been nearly a year since the company began construction of the fiber network, and Ivester said there’s no clear timeline for when single-family homes and a broader pool of businesses (those in buildings with residential hookups will get access) will be able to connect.
Read more of the Story at The Nashville Business Journal
What's Cookin' Nashville 