If those three cities want to be considered, Google Fiber says they must complete a checklist similar to the one it presented last year to Portland and other cities across the country.
Google Fiber announced last year it was considering adding nine markets across the country, including Portland. In the 19 months since it has committed to serve six of those nine markets, most recently San Antonio.
Portland remains a question mark, but indications are very strong Google Fiber plans to operate here eventually. It has continued meeting with civic officials in the Portland area and that suggest it's very close to a decision.
Google Fiber offers superfast Internet connections at 1 gigabit per second, 40 times the current broadband standard, and an accompanying cable TV service. The company typically charges $70 a month for the Internet connection and an additional $60 a month for cable TV.
In addition to Portland, Google Fiber is also contemplating service in Gresham, Tigard, Lake Oswego, Beaverton, Hillsboro and unspecified parts of Washington County.
When Google began considering Portland last year no major Internet service provider offered gigabit connections. Now, CenturyLink and Frontier both offer those speedy connections in parts of their service territory; Comcast plans to roll it out later this year.
The news that Google is contemplating further expansion suggests the company still sees a business opportunity in Internet service, even as rivals boost their own speeds.
©2015 The Oregonian (Portland, Ore.) Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
