Saying it’s not just a good thing for your wallet, but a sign of confidence in Jacksonville’s future- WOKV’s Consumer Warrior Clark Howard has nothing but praise for the possibility that Google Fiber may be coming to Jacksonville.
“For me, for Jacksonville, it’s the equivalent of the Jaguars going 16-0,” he says.
WOKV first told you Wednesday that Google Fiber is exploring expansion in to Jacksonville. While it will be several months before we know if the City gets selected, Google Fiber says they have followed through with every City they've formally explored up until now.
One of the biggest hurdles on the City side is all the permitting that is needed for laying down the fiber optic cables. Google Fiber says they do not seek any City dollars for their projects.
While the highlight of Google Fiber is the Gigabit Internet, which operates far faster than other companies offer, Howard says the big winners are those who are happy with the speed they’re already getting.
“If you just have been happy with what you’ve had, but you’re not happy with the price, Google comes in and says ‘you can have it for free’,” he says.
While the pricing Jacksonville could see hasn’t been determined, the basic residential offering from Google Fiber in other cities is a free service for up to seven years, you only have to pay for installation. Getting the Gigabit Internet is $70/month, and adding a TV service bumps that to $130/month.
Having the free service means everyone benefits, according to Howard, because even if you’re not an avid Internet user, you could still see the current cost you pay for your service go away.
“I think it is something that will not only attract businesses to Jacksonville, but technology-minded individuals,” Howard says.
He believes Google Fiber could serve as an incentive for businesses considering a move in to Jacksonville, because they would know they have a strong connection and capabilities.
Howard says the only potential downfall could be some level of a loss of privacy, because making Google Fiber your Internet provider would give them new access to information, which could be used to better target advertising. He says those ads, though, enable the free service for you.
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