Google Fiber Invites Los Angeles, Chicago To Explore High Speed Internet

In a move to further expand the coverage of the high speed internet service to more cities, Jill Szuchmacher, Director, Google Fiber Expansion, on Tuesday invited Chicago and Los Angeles to explore bringing Google Fiber to their cities.

“Home to a combined 6+ million people, Chicago and L.A. are the two largest metros we’ve engaged with to date. And with the help of gigabit Internet, Chicago and L.A. can boost their creative cultures with Internet speed to match their size”, Szuchmacher said in a blog post.

However, he added that while it cannot be guaranteed if the service will be deployed in Chicago and L.A., it is a big step for these cities and their leaders. Szuchmacher said that the company will work closely with city leaders to collect detailed information including city infrastructure and topography—and use that information to build a local fiber network.

The Wall Street Journal noted that the expansion plans have become more aggressive ever since Google re-organized itself into the Alphabet.

“Google Fiber looking at big cities is a sign of greater aggressiveness,” Blair Levin, who led broadband Internet initiatives at the Federal Communications Commission for several years told the WSJ. “It is ultimately going to have to stand on its on two feet, without the support it previously required from Alphabet. To do that, it needs a certain scale that requires a presence in a number of bigger cities.”

Launched in 2012, Google Fiber aims to make the web faster and better. It offers an Internet connection speed that’s up to 1,000 megabits per second. It has been already deployed in Provo, Kansas City and Austin, while upcoming Fiber cities include Salt Lake City, San Antonio, Nashville, Atlanta, Charlotte and Raleigh–Durham. Other potential Fiber cities include Portland, San Jose, Phoenix, Oklahoma City, Jacksonville, Tampa, Irvine, Louisville and San Diego according to the website.