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Pros

• Speeds start at 1Gbps
• No equipment fees, data caps or contracts
• Continuing fiber expansion

Cons

• No cheap plan options Fiber network still has room to grow

Google Fiber internet review

We consider fiber internet the gold standard at CNET, and Google Fiber is certainly a crowd-pleaser. It offers lightning-fast internet and straightforward terms of service: Equipment is included and there are no data caps or contracts.

Most Americans pay around $78 each month for home internet, before additional fees. With service starting at $70 per month and capping at $150, Google Fiber's pricing is higher than what the average American household likely pays for home internet, though that price tag comes with a lot of speed.

The $70 entry-level plan delivers symmetrical speeds up to a gigabit (1,000 megabits per second), and the speeds only go up from there. Google Fiber is one of the fastest national ISPs, offering 8,000Mbps in select areas and -- in even more select areas -- speeds up to 20 gigabits.

As with any fiber internet provider, availability is usually a limiting factor. Google Fiber's coverage is limited to metro areas in 19 states and parts of Washington, DC. However, that number is steadily growing as Google Fiber continues to expand to new markets. 

Limited availability aside, there's a lot to like about Google Fiber. As someone who appreciates high-speed internet and is willing to pay a little more for it, I'd say Google Fiber is worth the premium price. Few fiber providers match Google Fiber's speed potential, let alone service from cable or DSL providers.

Thinking of signing up? Read on to learn more about what you can expect from Google Fiber.

Google Fiber internet plans

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Google Fiber's overall value is top-notch

Google Fiber offers a range of multi-gigabit plans and one gigabit plan. Select markets will be eligible for Google Fiber's 2-gig and 5-gig plans, but you'll likely be choosing between Core 1 Gig, Home 3 Gig, Edge 8 Gig, and Google's Webpass service.

Most households may not need more than 1 gig of internet since average households don't exceed download speeds of 569Mbps, according to data from OpenVault. If the multi-gig offerings seem like too much speed, rest assured that the 1-gig plan is competitively priced. At $70 a month, Google Fiber's gig service is priced lower than 1-gig speeds from fiber providers like AT&T ($80) and Verizon Fios ($90).

The rest of Google Fiber's plans are priced competitively, too, although there are no cheap or low-cost options. Generally, the faster the internet speed, the lower the cost per megabit per second. A sub-dime cost per Mbps is often a great internet deal, and Google Fiber plans' cost per Mbps is on par with or lower than the cost per Mbps offered by most providers.

For example, Google Fiber's 1 Gig plan starts at $70 a month for speeds up to 1,000Mbps, which comes to an estimated cost per Mbps of 7 cents. The 3 Gig plan is even lower at 3 cents per Mbps.

For context, Spectrum's cheapest plan (in most markets) starts at $50 monthly for speeds up to 500Mbps. It's cheaper than Google Fiber, but the cost per Mbps of 10 cents (plus the additional cost of $10 per month for your router rental -- which knocks the cost per Mbps up to 12 cents) indicates Google Fiber is the better deal.

Straightforward pricing, no gimmicks and no added fees

It's easy to fall into internet pricing traps from your internet provider. On the bright side, Google Fiber doesn't have introductory pricing, so you don't have to worry about a price hike after 12 months. That's not to say the price will never go up, but there's no guarantee that it will after a certain period of time.

Additionally, Google Fiber plans come with unlimited data (so no overage charges), no installation fees and no contracts with a required service length (no early termination fees).

You may see a "Local Access Fee" on your bill if you live in a city that requires a "public right of way fee," like San Antonio. Google Fiber says the fee will be "a small percentage of a customer's total bill for the month," so just keep an eye out for that.

Google Fiber also includes other perks, like a 25% refund for those on the 8-gigabit plan if your internet is down for more than 45 minutes. In addition, if you ever experience an internet outage, the Home 3 Gig and Edge 8 Gig plans offer an internet backup option that can get you connected for up to two hours.

Router included at no extra cost

Google Fiber includes a Multi-Gig Wi-Fi 6E router with all plans except for the 1Gbps plan, which includes a Nest Wi-Fi Pro router with Wi-Fi 6E capability. Multi-gig speed tiers, that's 3-gig and above, come with a Wi-Fi router plus up to two mesh access points, which extend the range and coverage of Wi-Fi service throughout your home up to around 5,000 square feet. If you need greater Wi-Fi coverage, additional access points are available to purchase for $100 each. If you'd like to use your own router instead, you certainly can -- you can even switch to the Wi-Fi 6E router down the road if you find the speeds lacking.

Google Fiber availability: Continuously growing

While Google Fiber is available in 19 states, it has nowhere near the coverage of rival fiber providers like AT&T, Verizon Fios or Quantum Fiber, but it does offer service in some relatively major markets. 

Kansas City, Missouri and Huntsville, Alabama have the greatest availability, but service can also be found in parts of Mesa, Arizona; Orange County, California; Atlanta, Georgia; Charlotte and the Raleigh/Durham area of North Carolina; Nashville, Tennessee; Austin and San Antonio, Texas; Salt Lake City and Provo, Utah; West Des Moines, Iowa; and soon, Las Vegas, Nevada.

Select cities -- specifically Chicago, Denver, Miami, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle and Oakland, California -- will only have access to Google Webpass, a high-speed fixed wireless internet service similar to Starry Internet. To be eligible for service, customers must live in a building that is wired for Google Webpass.

Google Fiber expansion continues

The list of cities that have access to Google Fiber is growing, as is the availability in markets where Google Fiber is currently. 

Admittedly, Google Fiber is still available to just over 1% of US households, according to the most recent FCC data. Fiber internet expansion is a lengthy and complicated process and Google Fiber occasionally halts work due to safety concerns. However, there are positive signs of growth and the rapid expansion continues in existing markets and new ones like Lakewood, Colorado and opportunity areas like Douglas County, Colorado.

Furthermore (and encouraging to a suburbanite like myself), Google Fiber shows signs of expansion outside major city limits. For example, Google Fiber is set to expand into Concord and Matthews, North Carolina. I've lived in both Charlotte suburbs and would not have anticipated Google Fiber's availability to reach that far away from the city center.

How does Google Fiber stack up against competitors?

If Google Fiber is available in your area, it's safe to assume you also have a cable provider and possibly even another fiber provider available at your address. In that case, you'll want to know how Google Fiber compares.

Compared to other fiber providers -- or really any ISP -- Google Fiber will have a higher starting price. You'll find lower monthly starting prices from AT&T Fiber ($55), Frontier Fiber ($30), Quantum Fiber ($45) and Verizon Fios ($50) but it is worth noting that the cheaper plans often come with significantly lower speeds. If such speeds are sufficient for your household, a more affordable plan like what's available from AT&T or Verizon Fios may be your best bet.

There's arguably no better multi-gig provider

If you're interested in gig service, Google Fiber will be tough to beat, even among competing fiber providers. At $70 a month, the starting pricing for Google Fiber's gig service is lower than AT&T and Verizon Fios ($80 and $90).

As for comparing gig services from Google Fiber to cable internet providers like Spectrum or Xfinity, Google Fiber will probably be cheaper in the long term since most ISPs increase their prices after a year. But it'll likely also be faster, especially when considering upload speeds, and more reliable. Although Xfinity's gig plan is similar to Google Fiber's at $70 a month in some markets, that price jumps up to $106 after two years. Similarly, Spectrum's $70 gig plan will eventually jump to $100 after the first two years.

Fiber internet has the potential to deliver symmetrical upload and download speeds, something cable internet can't do. In the case of Google Fiber's 3 Gig plan, you'll get maximum download and upload speeds of 3,000Mbps, cable providers fall short in that aspect.

Upload speeds with cable internet top out at around 50Mbps, so you won't get anywhere near the same upload speeds with cable internet service. The connection quality of a fiber service is also typically better than a cable one, which can be susceptible to slowed speeds due to network congestion, especially during peak usage times. If you want to learn more about these connection types, read our review on cable vs. fiber.

Google Fiber customer satisfaction

In its most recent report, the American Customer Satisfaction Index gave Google Fiber a score of 76/100, the same as in 2023. Last year's 76 was good enough to beat the category average (75), but it's even with it this year as other fiber ISPs improved their scores slightly. Still, AT&T Fiber and Verizon Fios were the only big providers named above Google Fiber, although Frontier Fiber and Quantum Fiber also received a 76.

J.D. Power, another customer satisfaction resource we turn to when evaluating an internet provider, gave Google Fiber the top spot in the South region in 2023 and 2024.

In short, customers appear to be as satisfied with Google Fiber as any other top provider, perhaps more so. While I would have liked to see Google Fiber's ACSI score increase year over year, there are no red flags indicating poor customer satisfaction.

The bottom line on Google Fiber

If you've got the need for speed, there is perhaps no better provider than Google Fiber, if the service is available in your area. Google Fiber has some of the best pricing on gig service and favorable service terms such as free equipment rental, unlimited data and no contract requirements, further adding to the value. The service isn't for everyone, especially if you don't need a lot of internet speed or you're looking to keep your internet bill under $70 a month. Be sure to consider all of your home internet options before committing to one in particular.

Google Fiber FAQs

Does Google Fiber have a 5 gig plan?

Google Fiber currently advertises only 1-gig, 3-gig and 8-gig plans. However, this does not mean that it's 5-gigs plan is not available. According to the company website, its 5Gbps plan may be offered only in select markets such as Kansas City, Utah, Mesa and West Des Moines.

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Is Google Fiber still expanding?

Google Fiber availability is still highly limited -- only around 1% of US households are eligible for service, per the latest data from the FCC -- but the provider is working to increase its availability through continued growth in current and new markets. Just recently, Google Fiber announced that residents of Lakewood, Colorado, can now sign up for service.

A Google Fiber spokesperson confirmed the provider is continuing its expansion efforts and "building on our mission to connect more people to fast, reliable internet in Google Fiber cities across the country. Google Fiber construction teams are actively working to build out our networks in each one of our existing Fiber cities, and we're expanding to new neighboring communities in some of those cities." 

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Is Google Fiber the fastest internet?

Google Fiber's 8Gbps plan certainly makes it one of the fastest internet providers, although not the absolute fastest you may find. Ziply Fiber has a ridiculously fast 50Gbps plan, and smaller, local providers may offer 20Gbps or faster in select areas. 

Google Fiber offers the fastest entry-level plan of any major provider. While many fiber-optic ISPs have plans starting at speeds of 200Mbps, 300Mbps or lower, Google Fiber's "slowest" plan offers symmetrical speeds of up to 1,000Mbps.

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Is Google Fiber here to stay?

Considering recent growth in existing and new markets, there's no indication that Google Fiber is going anywhere anytime soon, other than into new households and cities. 

The release of two new 5Gbps and 8Gpbs plans further indicates that Google Fiber is intent on not only expanding its coverage areas but also its plan selection and speed offerings.

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