Google announced today that it has officially started to hook up homes in the Kansas City area to Google Fiber.
The search giant has been testing out Google Fiber in a "few" homes over the past few weeks "to make sure we can deliver a great experience."
Installation is a two-step process. First, Google must pull the fiber from the street to the side of a customer's home. Then, a technician must come over and install the service.
Google said it has already pulled fiber to the homes in the Hanover Heights area of Kansas City. "If you live in Hanover Heights and see a new box on the side of your house (and have gotten a Google Fiber sticky note on your door), look for an email or phone call from us in the next few days to schedule an appointment," Google said in a blog post. "When the installer arrives, he/she will ask you about where you want your devices and then get to work."
Google pledged to make the installation process as simple as possible, without long wait times or messes. "We've found that the difference between dreading an installation and feeling like you had a good experience comes down to us caring about the details that matter the most to you," Google said.
Google unveiled plans for its Google Fiber service back in July, which promises 1 gigabit Internet.
Google is focusing its first rollout in Kansas City and only in neighborhoods where there is enough interest in Google Fiber to warrant the cost. Following a six-week pre-registration period, Google in September announced that at least 180 of 202 possible "fiberhoods" had qualified for the super-fast Internet service. The Google Fiber website said the service will soon expand to Westwood, Westwood Hills, and Mission Woods, Kansas, as well as north and south Kanasas City.
Google is offering three service packages. The web-only 1-gigabit-per-second Internet plan is $70 per month. With gigabit + Google Fiber TV, Google promised hundreds of channels and on-demand shows, as well as 2TB of DVR storage and eight tuners, and a new Nexus 7 tablet to serve as a remote control - all for $120 per month. There's also the option for free 5 Mbps Internet if you pay the $300 installation fee.
The Internet service includes a one-year contract, while Internet plus TV requires a two-year deal.
For more, check out the video below and Up Close With the Google Fiber Hardware from PCMag's sister site, Geek.com.