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PROVO — Provo City is planning on opening access to Google Fiber in late fall of 2013. The announcement was made in last April and public reaction to the news has been overwhelmingly positive.
For some companies, however, the news of Google Fiber making its home in Provo wasn't welcomed. Existing ISPs have been looking for ways to compete come fall when Provo residents will have free access to 5Mb per second internet connection. With Google Fiber, residents will also have the option to pay for a subscription for 1Gb connection speeds for $70 a month and a high definition television/internet bundle for $120 a month.
Comcast has announced they will be lowering prices in the area on some of their packages. Ray Child, Comcast's public relations representative for Utah, said the rate drop is standard.
Provo announces Google Fiber partnership
Provo city made its "epic" announcement Wednesday, saying it will join the shortlist of cities to get Google Fiber."We are constantly trying out new packages and rates to see what works in certain areas," Child said. "If the rate changes in Provo are successful we'll look into expanding them into other areas in Utah."
Child said the company is used to competition.
"We face competition on a variety of fronts," Child said. "We're very proactive and go to communities and make sure we're competitive in the area."
Many Provo residents are looking forward to the arrival of Google Fiber as a good alternative to existing internet options.
Provo is the third city to receive Google Fiber. The other two are Kansas City, Missouri and Austin, Texas. In each of these cities, Google has charged a $300 setup fee for new customers; Provo residents will pay a reduced $30 fee for activation.
