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Yee-Haw! Google Fiber Heading to San Antonio

 & Angela Moscaritolo Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

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Google on Wednesday announced the most ambitious expansion of its Fiber Internet service to date.

The Web giant is bringing its super-fast gigabit Internet to San Antonio — the largest so-called "Fiber city" yet. But connecting one of the "biggest and fastest growing cities in the country" — which boasts 1.4 million residents — won't be an overnight job.

Google didn't reveal a specific launch date, but will "soon" kick off the design phase of the network build-out project. This will involve working with city leaders over the next several months to map out locations for the 4,000 miles of fiber-optic cables it plans to install across the metro area. That's enough fiber to stretch from San Antonio to Canada — and back.

"This is no small task, and it will take some time, but we can't wait to get started," Mark Strama, head of Google Fiber Texas, wrote in a blog post.

Google will use the data city leaders provide to create a map of where it can build, based on existing utility poles and water, gas, and electricity lines. Then comes the hard part of actually stringing and laying thousands of miles of fiber optic cable, followed by a sign-up phase to determine which communities are interested in the service. Finally, Google will complete the process by connecting the communities that show enough interest, and install the service in homes and businesses.

San Antonio has already been prepping for Google Fiber, even before the Web giant decided to provide service there. Last year, the San Antonio City Council approved a plan to let Google (and AT&T) deploy "network huts" on city property in order to facilitate the rollout of gigabit Internet down the line.

"From starting Bexar BiblioTech, the first all-digital public library in the U.S., to being named a leading city in cybersecurity, San Antonio has developed a thriving tech landscape," Strama wrote. "Hundreds of start-ups have found their home in the Alamo City through collaborative workspaces and accelerators like Geekdom and Cafe Commerce."

Google Fiber offers speeds up to 1,000Mbps — a huge upgrade from the U.S. average of just 12Mbps — promising to "further fuel the city's growth," Strama added.

At this point, Google Fiber is only available in a few select areas — Kansas City and some of its surrounding suburbs, as well as Provo, Utah and fellow Texas tech-hub Austin. Google has also promised to eventually launch the service in Atlanta; Charlotte and Raleigh-Durham, N.C.; Nashville, Tenn.; and Salt Lake City. The company is also exploring the idea of expanding it to Phoenix; Portland, Ore.; and San Jose, Calif.

For now, San Antonio residents can sign up online to receive information about the rollout as it becomes available.

About Our Expert

Angela Moscaritolo

Angela Moscaritolo

Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

My Experience

I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics, overseeing an experienced team of analysts covering smart home, home entertainment, wearables, fitness and health tech, and various other product categories. I have been with PCMag for more than 10 years, and in that time have written more than 6,000 articles and reviews for the site. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade. 

Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

The Technology I Use

My little Florida beach bungalow is brimming with smart home tech. I have a smart speaker or display in every room, allowing me to control other connected devices by voice. The Nest Hub on my bedside table lets me set wake-up alarms, control my smart light bulbs, and set the temperature on my smart thermostat. I use the Amazon Echo Show 8 on my kitchen counter to browse recipes, reorder protein powder, check the weather, and watch the news while I do dishes. 

Because I suffer from allergies, air purifiers are essential. My favorite model is the Dyson Purifier Cool TP07, which doubles as a fan and continuously sends indoor pollution data to its companion mobile app. 

My pitbull Bradley sheds, so a good robot vacuum is a must. I currently use a premium Ecovacs Deebot that can both vacuum and mop, empty its own dustbin, and wash its own mop cloth. 

For fitness, I like to mix up my routine with cycling, indoor rowing, running, and strength training in addition to yoga. I take classes on the Tonal 2 smart strength training machine, I row indoors on an Aviron machine, and track my beach runs with an Apple Watch while listening to music on my Apple AirPods Pro. On the weekends, I love riding e-bikes like the rugged, beach-friendly Aventon Aventure for fun and fitness.

My job involves a lot of virtual meetings, so a quality webcam, microphone, and ring light are important. I use the Jabra PanaCast 20 webcam, the Elgato Wave: 3 microphone, and a Yesker tripod ring light. 

As for my preferred phone platform, I'm an iPhone person, but I've also extensively used Android for product testing.

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