Google announces fiber roll-out in Atlanta

Google has an announcement - and it's big!

Google Fiber, which promises internet speeds 100 times faster than existing connections, is coming to the Atlanta area. Mayor Kasim Reed made the announcement Tuesday shortly after 1:00 p.m.

"This is a very big deal," said Mayor Reed. "Today is one of the most important moments in the life of the metro Atlanta region." 

The nine metro Atlanta areas Google Fiber will come to include: Avondale Estates, Brookhaven, College Park, Decatur, East Point, Hapeville, Sandy Springs and Smyrna.

LINK: Click here to find out if your city/street might soon have Google Fiber

"Google Fiber is the infrastructure for the next generation of innovation in Atlanta," said Mayor Kasim Reed. "High-speed internet access is essential to participate in the 21st century economy. In addition to supporting our thriving tech and startup communities, Google Fiber will bring greater economic opportunities to every quadrant of the City, so that the next great business idea is just as likely to come from Southwest Atlanta as it is from any other neighborhood."

"We are here because of the hard work, passion and commitment of the city and its leaders," said Kevin Lo, director of business operations for Google Fiber. "The next chapter of the Internet will be written at gigabit speeds. These new networks will lay the foundation for a wave of innovation and economic growth. Atlanta is the perfect city to show us what's possible, and we can't wait to see what Atlanta will do with Fiber."

The project comes with a cost, and with construction. It would be years before the first homes fire-up a connection, but it could change access in the city forever. How? In some cases, Google offers basic lower-speed access for free. There is a 'construction fee' for the cost of the line and modem...but beyond that - there is no monthly service fee for the basic 5mbps service.

Want to see where Google Fiber is working elsewhere? Check out this report from Kansas City

Google indicates that Fiber is truly the future. Fiber, they say, is made for the modern Internet, and our current system of copper wires is not. This would mean new lines into homes, new lines in the ground, and a new infrastructure in the city. However, business leaders and technology experts say the end result is worth the effort.

Want to learn more? Here are some resources directly from Google:

The Google Fiber Blog will walk you through the big plans for Atlanta and 8 other metro areas.

The Google Fiber Site will show you the current operation and price plans.