Residents of Austin, Texas might be able to celebrate the holidays with super-fast Google Fiber Internet service.
Google today confirmed that residents in the south and southeast region of Austin will be able to sign up for its gigabit Internet service beginning in December.
"We'll expand from there—over time, all of Austin will have a chance to sign up for gigabit speeds," Google said. "We don't have a precise timeline on installations, but right now we're doing a lot of heavy construction so that we can get Austinites hooked up as quickly as possible."
Google announced plans to expand Google Fiber into Austin last year, and said at the time that residents would get service in mid-2014. That's a bit behind schedule, which has allowed competing services like AT&T U-verse to swoop in and launch gigabit Internet there first.
Those who want Google Fiber, though, will be able to pre-register online for a $10; if enough people sign up (between 5 and 25 percent of households, The Wall Street Journal said), Google will connect that area.
Service plans will be similar to those offered in Kansas City—the first region to get Google Fiber. There, customers can choose from Internet and TV packages for $120 a month or Internet-only service for $70 per month.
Google also intends to connect a number of Austin's public institutions, including schools, hospitals, and community centers, to Fiber at no cost.
"We believe the Internet's next chapter will be built on gigabit speeds, and we hope this new Google Fiber city will inspire communities across America to think about what ultrafast connectivity could mean for them," Milo Medin, vice president of Google Fiber, said last year.
Google Fiber is also available in Provo, Utah, and the search giant is considering a rollout in nearly three dozen other cities. More details on that are expected by year's end.
According to Reuters, meanwhile, Google is also considering wireless version of Google Fiber. The news service pointed to an application filed Monday with the FCC, which say that Google wants to conduct tests in California across different wireless spectrums, including the rarely used millimeter-wave frequency.
The heavily redacted document makes it hard to distinguish the details, but Reuters said Google's Wi-Fi technology could eliminate the need for ground cables or a fiber connection.
A Google spokeswoman declined to comment on the FCC filing.
Earlier this year, Google reportedly told the 34 cities it is evaluating as future Google Fiberhoods that they might also get a Wi-Fi network to go with their super-fast in-home Internet.
If you're dying for super-speedy gigabit Internet, check out the slideshow above to find out where to go.