Google‘s 1Gbps internet: 10 things to know

Google made its foray into the market for bundled internet and television services on Thursday, promising access speeds more than 100 times faster than those of traditional US cable and telecommunications companies.

The web search leader unveiled its ultra-high speed Google Fiber service in Kansas City, Missouri, and could start installations in September, executives said. Google hopes to roll out the service to other cities later.

Here is a look at 10 ten things you would want to know about Google Fiber:

1. Google Fiber's ultra high-speed connections and television offerings are aimed at surpassing those of current providers, allowing users to search live channels, Netflix, YouTube, recorded shows and tens of thousands of hours of on-demand programming. However, no phone service is available.
   
   
2. Google said it also intends to roll out product packages for businesses, but would not provide details.
   
   
3. Google Fiber includes more than 100 networks and costs $120 a month for a package of TV, 1Gbps internet speeds and 1Tb of cloud storage.
   
   
4. Google is also offering an internet-only package priced at $70 a month. The download speeds would be around 1Gbps, according to Google executives.
   
   
5. The package includes popular networks owned by major media companies such as Comcast Corp's NBC Universal, Discovery Communications and Viacom. Premium movie networks are available from Liberty Media's Starz for an extra fee. But it excludes several major TV names, such as News Corp's Fox cable channels; Time Warner networks like CNN, TNT and TBS, as well as Walt Disney cable channels like ESPN and Disney children networks.
   
   
6. Google is charging a $300 installation fee, saying consumers should treat it as a 'home improvement' cost.
   
   
7. The initial service area includes central Kansas City, Missouri and the entire city of neighboring Kansas City, Kansas.
   
   
8. Consumers must pay $10 to register their household online for service. About 50 'neighbors' will need to register in order for their area to be eligible for installation services, according to Google executives.
   
   
9. Google Fiber includes such features as the ability to record eight TV shows at a time and store up to 500 hours of high definition programming. Users can choose to use a tablet or smartphone as a voice-activated remote control.
   
   
10. Google is offering its Nexus 7 tablet with the Google TV app to early users of the service