Google becomes high-speed internet service provider

Internet juggernaut Google has launched a new service called Google Fiber. It's not available in New Zealand, so why are we talking about it? Because the service gives away free internet at speeds of 5Mbit/s, and offers a US$70/month plan at whopping speeds of 1Gbit/s - which Google claims is 100 times faster than today's 'average' internet.

For New Zealanders, that figure is likely to be higher - many of us don't even achieve 10Mbit/s on a good day.

Will there be data caps?

"No way!" Google says on the Google Fiber website. "We want you to use and enjoy your broadband or gigabit connections. There are no caps or limits to the amount of data you can send or receive."

The catch is that currently Google Fiber is only available in Kansas City, KS and Kansas City, MO, in the USA. Not only that, but it's not guaranteed to be available in any given neighbourhood - Google is checking demand before it chooses which areas Google Fiber will launch in.

It also costs US$10 to pre-register your interest, even though you may never actually get access to the service.

Google will also offer Google Fiber TV packaged with the high-speed internet service for US$120/month, and has promised that users will be provided with 2TB of storage space to record their TV shows on.

Google expects to connect everyone who pre-registers and qualifies for the service by the end of 2013.