Internet speeds are getting out of hand, with Google announcing that its GFiber service will now offer a super-fast 20Gbps connection with Wi-Fi 7 — but it's only available in a few areas.
Technology continues to evolve at break-neck speeds, and it's no secret that more is on the horizon with the rise of AI chatbots in the world. As a result, faster and faster internet connections are required to power these platforms, devices, and other tech-driven innovations.
Fortunately, Google seems more than up to the task, announcing an insanely fast service that can handle more than you could possibly throw at it and more.
What Is GFiber's 20 Gig + Wi-Fi 7 Service?
GFiber is a service from Google that provides internet connectivity to select areas of the country. It comes in a variety of pricing plans, which offer varying speeds depending on your particular needs.
Announced this week, Google is launching a new, super-fast GFiber plan that gives you 20Gbps speeds across your network. For some context, the fastest speed provided by GFiber before this was only 8Gbps, which means this new plan is the definition of speed.
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“It’s fast across the board and enables multiple devices to take advantage of multi-gig speeds, even over Wi-Fi and across multiple floors — which is important because the vast majority of our in-home internet connections happen over Wi-Fi.” – Nick Saporito, Head of Product at GFiber in a Google blog post
On top of that, the GFiber 20Gbps plan will offer compatibility with Wi-Fi 7, a yet-tested standard that operates faster than previous iterations. Google worked with Actiontec to build out a router that can handle all this speed, even if it is pre-certified.
How Much Does GFiber Cost?
As you can imagine, these kind of internet speeds are anything but cheap. The new 20Gbps plan from GFiber will cost you $250 per month, which is quite a hefty sum to ensure that your speeds are the fastest on the block.
If you think you can get by on slower speeds, GFiber does have a range of pricing plans that might suit you better. The 1Gpbs plan will cost you only $70 per month, the 2Gbps plan costs $100 per month, the 5GB plan costs $125 per month, and the 8Gbps plan will cost you $150 per month.
Where Is GFiber Available?
It's worth noting that GFiber is not available anywhere, even across the US. In fact, the high-speed plans, including the new 20Gbps plan, are available in limited areas across the country, so make sure you're eligible before making any financial commitments.
The new 20Gbps plan is only available in Kansas City, Arizona, Iowa, and North Carolina (Triangle Region). There are obviously plans to roll out the technology further in the future, but no date has been set for any new regions.
Luckily, the 5Gbps and the 8Gbps are more widely available, although you'll still have to check if your eligible before you buy. Some available cities include Huntsville (AL), Kansas City (MO), West Des Moines (IA), and Salt Lake City (UT).
If you don't need the fastest Wi-Fi around, the 1Gbps and 2 Gbps plans are available in a lot more locations, so you can always go that direction.
