Category Archives: Google Fiber

The latest news from the Google Fiber team

Google Fiber Webpass now available in Charlotte


Google Fiber Webpass has made its grand entrance in Queen City, Charlotte, North Carolina. Charlotte joins Austin,TX and Nashville,TN as locations where we offer two different options for fast, reliable internet- available either through our fiber-to-the-home network or a simple but powerful combination of fiber-optic and wireless technology.


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Google Fiber Webpass is a point to point wireless technology that links apartments, condominiums and offices through millimeter wave and wireless radio technology connecting more people to high speed internet in a concentrated populated area. This option offers browsing speeds of up to 1 Gig through a mesh network that utilizes both wireless and fiber optic components.


Charlotte, NC has become a thriving city and is ranked high as one of the best places to live and also one of the fastest growing cities in the U.S. Access to fast and reliable internet will provide enhanced opportunities for residents to study and work from home, stream favorite shows and enjoy gaming online. Condominiums like The Madison have started enjoying the benefits of Google Fiber Webpass. We will continue converting one Ethernet-wired building at a time- allowing more and more residents to stay connected, furthering our commitment towards fast and reliable internet service for everyone.


The Google Fiber Charlotte Team is excited to bring the option of high speed internet service via Google Fiber Webpass to Charlotteans. To find out if service will be available in your building, check availability here.


Posted by David Scott, Senior Real Estate Partnership Lead Google Fiber


How to make your home network more secure and less scary


October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month- a month dedicated to raising awareness of the importance of cybersecurity. Because nothing is scarier than having your Wi-Fi hacked, we've updated this classic blog to help you keep your network safer everyday. No need to feel any deja boo, keeping your Wi-Fi security up-to-date can help keep internet boogeymen at bay.


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Most of us use Wi-Fi networks to connect to the Internet. It’s so easy to get online over Wi-Fi that  it can be easy to overlook Wi-Fi security, and that can cause some problems from the minorly scary (think Haunted Mansion) to majorly terrifying (Shining-level).


Why do we care?


In almost every security presentation or document, there is a “scare the user” section … and this is that section. Here we’ll list all the horrible things that can happen if you don’t secure your Wi-Fi network. They’re listed from just annoying to horrifying.


 1. Piggybacking:

Simply put, someone else can use your home Wi-Fi to access the internet. In most cases, this will merely increase the use of your network bandwidth (which, if  you are using a network provider other than GFiber, may also impact your bill). But if they use your network connection to perform illegal activities, it can make your life very difficult. The last thing anyone wants is a knock on the door from the police due to illegal activity traced to your house. Or more likely receiving a copyright violation notice from your ISP or possibly having your service terminated for copyright infringement.


2. Network capture/sniffing:

Looking at what someone else is doing on a computer network requires two things: access to that network and the ability to decode the traffic once you have that access. With Wi-Fi, access is easy … no physical connection is required, just someone close enough to access the radio signal (and with modern antennas, that can be surprisingly far away — up to a mile). As for decoding what you are up to online, while most internet traffic is encrypted by the application (thank you TLS, not everything is protected … and you’d be surprised how much metadata about someone’s activities you can get from the unencrypted traffic. You can potentially tell what websites someone is visiting, even if you can’t see the web traffic itself.


3. Abusing network services:

Many people have network attached printers, file servers, cameras, home security systems, and other smart home devices. Most of these devices try very hard to make using them easy and intuitive … the last thing manufacturers want is to annoy their customers with too many steps. But the same features that make it easy for you to use may make it easy for an attacker to use as well. This can range from printing garbage to stealing data from your file servers to watching people via the camera and even unlocking your front door.


But there are ways to prevent all these problems. Below you’ll find ways to make your home network more secure. We’ve listed them from easy to hard, from most important to least important. At a high level, everyone should do steps 1 & 2, and should think about step 3. If you’re especially tech savvy, then step 4 is a good step to take, although it can make troubleshooting access issues a bit more difficult. Finally, step 5 isn’t a technical step, but is standard maintenance that everyone should consider.


 

 Step 1: Encryption


The first step, and one that is more and more common by default on Wi-Fi devices, is to enable encryption. There are several Wi-Fi encryption standards, with different levels of rigor and difficulty to break. Starting with WEP, then came WPA, WPA2, and WPA3. As these levels have evolved, they’ve gotten harder and harder to crack, using the latest in cryptographic standards.


Setting up Wi-Fi encryption is a fairly straightforward task. For Google Fiber devices, the online support pages walk you through enabling WPA3 encryption on the network box (and here’s how to do it on Google WiFi). Other manufacturers will have other processes to enable Wi-Fi encryption, and if it isn’t done by default, it should be the first step you take when setting up your home network (search online if instructions are not included in the box).



Step 2: Obfuscation

Almost every Wi-Fi access point that ships today comes with a default SSID and default login credentials (aka admin password). This is handy and helpful for launching the device, but these defaults are often easily determined, printed on the side of the device, or both. As such, changing them to something you know that’s hard for others to guess is a great way to prevent someone easily figuring out the credentials and taking over your Wi-Fi device.


The same page that shows how to set up encryption on the Google Fiber network box also walks through changing the SSID and password (check here for how to do this on Google WiFi).


 

Step 3: Separation

Do you have smart home devices at home? Does half your house chirp if you say “Hey Google” or “Alexa”? Maybe an Android TV device for watching YouTube TV on your main set? If so, often these devices don’t need to be on the same network as your home computers, phones, tablets, and other computer devices.


Many newer Wi-Fi routers allow you to set up multiple SSIDs, sometimes also referred to as setting up a guest network in addition to your main one. In this way, you can separate your smart home devices from your main household network, isolating devices that don’t need to talk to the printer or file servers or the like off into their own space. With the explosion of devices that simply connect to the internet, there is no reason to allow them to access other local devices.



Step 4: Authorization


Most Wi-Fi routers have the ability to lock down an SSID so that only devices with approved MAC addresses can use them. At a high level, a MAC address is a unique* identifier that every network device has for identifying it on the local network. While the IP address assigned to that device may change, the MAC will stay the same*.


Given this, if you know the MAC addresses of the devices in your house, you can lock your Wi-Fi so that ONLY those devices can access the network. So even if an attacker was able to get the SSID and encryption information, they still couldn’t access the network as their device wouldn’t be on the approved list.






Step 5: Rotation/Validation

So at this point, you’ve set up your home router: It is encrypted, with a personalized SSID, and has new admin credentials. You may also have set up multiple networks to separate devices that don’t need to talk to each other. Perhaps you’ve even gone to the effort of locking devices by MAC address. You’ve done the key technical steps, and now it’s time to think about maintenance. 


Just like you change the oil in your car, the filters in your furnace/AC, or the batteries in your smoke detectors, so you also need to update and change the settings of your Wi-Fi every 6 months or so:


  • unchecked

    The first thing to do is check for updates. Similar to how the OS on your phone/computer/etc receives new versions, there will also be new versions of the firmware that runs your Wi-Fi router. Check to make sure you’re running the latest version — if you aren’t sure how to do this for your device, do an online search with your model name/number and “firmware update.”

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    Review your router logs. Check to make sure you know all the devices that are on your network. If you set up MAC address filtering, verify all those devices are still in use. If you threw something out, then make sure you’ve removed it from the approved address list.

  • unchecked

    Rotate the encryption key. This is going to be annoying, there is no way to get around that. Every device on that SSID will need to be updated with the new key. But if you did have someone who had figured out the key and was surreptitiously using your Wi-Fi, rotating the key will knock them off your network.

  • unchecked

    Change the admin credentials. Similar to underwear, passwords should not be shared and should be changed regularly.


Wi-Fi is here to stay and will remain the main way we’ll be getting online for the foreseeable future. By taking a little bit of time, you can make sure that there are no security surprises lurking on your home network.


Posted by Chris Roosenraad, Head of Security, Privacy, & Trust.


* Yes, MAC addresses can be changed, but that is rare, and highly unusual.

Google Fiber officially names Rocco Laurenzano Chief Operating Officer

Google Fiber is proud to announce Rocco Laurenzano as Chief Operating Officer. In his five and a half years with GFiber, Rocco’s leadership has been instrumental in establishing the operational excellence that has set the stage for our current expansion and growth. Rocco has been serving in the role unofficially for some time now. In his role as Vice President of Operations, he was already overseeing expansion, build, customer operations, and project management.


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The results of these efforts have fueled GFiber’s incredible growth over the past few years — creating a construction organization that has almost tripled build volume over the last four years and increased our service footprint by almost 2x over the same period. A key architect of the company’s expansion strategy, Rocco has led our expansion to new states and more fully building out our existing cities. He’ll continue to lead all of these efforts in his new role as COO.


Prior to joining GFiber, Rocco served in senior operations leadership roles at Altice USA, Time Warner Cable, Charter Communications, and Insight Communications. 


Rocco with his leadership team


“I’ve had the privilege and pleasure of working with Rocco over many years and in many capacities,” said Dinni Jain, CEO. “What he brings to any team is operational excellence, balanced with a clear appreciation for the people he works with, and the understanding of how to create a culture of accountability and constant improvement with a strong foundation of trust. This is truly a case of the right leader at the right time for a company.”


Posted by the GFiber Team

Mesa pursues digital equity and literacy

The City of Mesa’s strong commitment to digital equity played a key role in Google Fiber coming to town. The city is working towards connecting their residents to quality internet and the digital skills they need to navigate the world we live in, and their efforts are garnering national attention. Mesa was recently named a BroadLAND City USA by INCOMPAS. The award recognizes cities dedicated to speeding up deployment of new broadband networks in their local community. The city aims to create opportunities and promote competition- which bridges the digital divide for families and businesses in the community. 

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This commitment is exactly why GFiber recently invested in furthering these goals with a $25,000 donation to the Mesa College Promise program. The money will go to students working to obtain an associate’s degree in the STEM field of their choice from Mesa Community College (MCC). Graduates from eligible schools can go to MCC for two years with Arizona resident tuition and fees fully funded.The program supports students who have not received enough financial aid or other scholarships to completely cover the cost of college. 



Nearly 600 Mesa high school students have benefited from the Mesa College Promise program since its inception in 2021. College Promise students also receive a stipend each semester for up to two years to use for books, transportation or other educational expenses and have a dedicated MCC advisor to provide academic and personal support. Those wanting to learn more about the Mesa College Promise can visit mesacc.edu/mesa-promise. 

GFiber is intentional in making investments that positively impact the communities we serve- supporting STEM, digital equity and digital literacy programs and initiatives. Find out more information about the local alliances and partnerships we have and projects we support here

Posted by Will Novak, Government and Community Affairs Manager 


Mesa pursues digital equity and literacy

The City of Mesa’s strong commitment to digital equity played a key role in Google Fiber coming to town. The city is working towards connecting their residents to quality internet and the digital skills they need to navigate the world we live in, and their efforts are garnering national attention. Mesa was recently named a BroadLAND City USA by INCOMPAS. The award recognizes cities dedicated to speeding up deployment of new broadband networks in their local community. The city aims to create opportunities and promote competition- which bridges the digital divide for families and businesses in the community. 

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This commitment is exactly why GFiber recently invested in furthering these goals with a $25,000 donation to the Mesa College Promise program. The money will go to students working to obtain an associate’s degree in the STEM field of their choice from Mesa Community College (MCC). Graduates from eligible schools can go to MCC for two years with Arizona resident tuition and fees fully funded.The program supports students who have not received enough financial aid or other scholarships to completely cover the cost of college. 



Nearly 600 Mesa high school students have benefited from the Mesa College Promise program since its inception in 2021. College Promise students also receive a stipend each semester for up to two years to use for books, transportation or other educational expenses and have a dedicated MCC advisor to provide academic and personal support. Those wanting to learn more about the Mesa College Promise can visit mesacc.edu/mesa-promise. 

GFiber is intentional in making investments that positively impact the communities we serve- supporting STEM, digital equity and digital literacy programs and initiatives. Find out more information about the local alliances and partnerships we have and projects we support here

Posted by Will Novak, Government and Community Affairs Manager 


GFiber Labs announces first project: 20 Gig with Wi-Fi 7

When we rolled out GFiber Labs last month, we told you that we had a lot of things in the works and we were looking forward to sharing more soon. I am excited to share our very first GFiber Labs project. Earlier today, we announced at NetworkX in Paris that we will be offering residential 20 Gig + Wi-Fi 7 by the end of the year. 

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When we started back in 2010, our central tenet — everyone should have access to gigabit internet — was bold. Now, it’s the norm. And it’s time for us to push beyond as the internet develops and grows. We need to keep up with and exceed expectations, so that we can harness that incredible potential. So we are setting another audacious goal to make multi-gig speeds (and yes, up to 20 Gig and beyond) mainstream and accessible. We’ve already got thousands of 5 Gig and 8 Gig customers and have customers using 20 Gig in organizational settings, like our friends at University Missouri - Kansas City and the United Way of Utah County. The age of multi-gig is here, and we’re committed to meeting that challenge.

As the inaugural GFiber Labs project, 20 Gig with Wi-Fi 7 will bring together the most advanced technologies to offer customers a first-of-its-kind in-home internet experience. GFiber will be one of the first ISPs to deploy Nokia’s 25G PON technology, which will allow our customers to break the 10 Gig barrier that limited existing architectures. Nokia’s 25G PON provides up to 10x speeds energy efficiently and without requiring any changes to the existing fiber in the ground. 



Additionally, by offering this service with a custom pre-certification Wi-Fi 7 router (another first ever — in fact, Wi-Fi 7 is not even fully certified yet), 20 Gig customers will be able to truly harness all that speed for whatever they dream up. With GFiber Labs, we’re working to get the newest technologies into customers homes even more quickly.



We’ll be sharing more details on this new product offering over the next few months. As a GFiber Labs project, this service will initially be available as an early access offering to a small group of GFiber customers in select areas. If you are interested in potentially receiving an early access invitation, please sign up on the GFiber Labs website (and follow us on social for the latest on all our GFiber Labs projects —  Facebook, LinkedIn, X, and Instagram).

Next generation internet will require pushing the boundaries of the entire internet ecosystem. We believe investments in advanced network technologies will catalyze change and be a game-changer for consumers.  We’re thrilled to be working with companies like Nokia to move our industry forward. Through GFiber Labs and collaborations like this, we’re building the foundation for tomorrow’s internet. Continue to watch this space for more on 20 Gig + Wi-Fi 7 over the next few months! 

Posted by Nick Saporito, Head of Product.



Google Fiber is busy in North – and now South – Carolina!

Google Fiber is continuing to grow in the Carolinas! As we continue to build out our networks in Charlotte (CLT) and Research Triangle (RDU), we just announced our intention to build our first city in South Carolina – Tega Cay on beautiful Lake Wylie as we expand our service area in the greater Charlotte Metro area. 


Earlier today, we joined SC Governor Henry McMaster, Mayor Chris Gray and many more new friends to celebrate the news. We expect to start construction in the Tega Cay area in early 2024 and serve our first customers there later in the year.  


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Meanwhile, we’ve been busy in the Old North State, too. J.D. Power recently ranked us #1 in customer satisfaction in the South Region, and we’re working to set that bar even higher. We rolled out 5 Gig service in CLT and RDU, and 8 Gig in CLT (with RDU on the way later this year). 


In Charlotte, we are expanding our reach to Concord and Huntersville. And in the Raleigh-Durham region, we’re adding Garner and Hillsborough while continuing to build out Durham, Chapel Hill/Carrboro, Apex, Raleigh and new neighborhoods in other existing cities.


As always, we’re working with local organizations to make an impact across the communities we serve, especially on digital equity and STEM education. In September, we joined CLT’s E2D (Eliminate the Digital Divide) to send 1,000 kids back to school equipped with refurbished laptops. 



In keeping with our strong commitment to the FCC’s Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), we’ve added a new service plan for ACP participants. 300 Meg provides symmetrical uploads and downloads of up to 300 mbps for $30 a month. With the government subsidy, this product is available at no cost to eligible customers. Google Fiber was founded on the ideal of giving more people access to fast, reliable internet at an accessible price – and ACP delivers just that. 


And we’re not slowing down. As we continue to expand our network to more of the Carolinas, we are revved up and ready to do great things across these communities. 

 

Posted by Jess George, Head of Government and Community Affairs, East Region




Wi-Fi Focus: Maximizing your Wi-Fi for a faster, more reliable connection


Yes, Google Fiber offers fast and reliable internet. But, to truly get "fast" internet and efficiently stream your favorite shows, work from home and enjoy gaming online, getting the most out of your Wi-Fi network is important. Here are some key steps and strategies to ensure you get a seamless optimized Wi-Fi experience. 

Basics

Google Fiber internet comes to your home through light over fiber optic cables (this differentiates fiber internet from your typical DSL or cable internet); Google Fiber Webpass customers get their internet through mmWave wireless technology combined with fiber optics. These deliver data to the Fiber Jack in your home, and your Wi-Fi router connects to the Fiber Jack and transmits data into Wi-Fi waves out to your devices (phones, computers, TVs, smart appliances, etc.). The speed of your Wi-Fi connections depend on a number of factors: internet plan, router’s capabilities and placement are the most relevant. But other factors such as signal strength, interference from neighboring devices, layout and size of your home and Wi-Fi congestion can also affect the speed and reliability.

Optimizing your Wi-FI:

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Routers

An up-to-date router that supports the latest Wi-Fi standards will deliver the most stable connection. That’s why GFiber regularly updates the routers that are included with your internet service plan to support the latest, like Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E. (In fact, if you are a GFiber 1 Gig customer who is still using the original Google Fiber network box you may be eligible for a complimentary upgrade to a Wi-Fi 6 device.) 

No matter who your internet provider is, using an updated Wi-Fi device will likely mean a better internet experience. Even with an updated router, you also need to regularly check for firmware updates and install them promptly. Performance enhancements, security fixes and improved features are all included in these updates, which can help ensure optimal performance and security for your Wi-Fi network.

Signal strength and interference

Where your router is in your home can affect your Wi-Fi signal strength and cause interference if not optimally placed. Ideally, the router should be centrally located and placed high, away from obstructions like thick walls or metal appliances to provide even coverage and distribution of the Wi-Fi signal throughout your space. 

If you have a large space or areas with poor coverage, a mesh Wi-Fi system can help extend your Wi-Fi coverage and create a more seamless internet experience across the entire home. Pro Tip: Place the mesh extender halfway between the router and the area with poor coverage. 

Hardwiring

Additionally, you may want to consider connecting stationary computers, streaming TVs and devices, and gaming consoles to a router via an ethernet cable for a dependable connection. When you hardwire bandwidth hungry devices such as 4K TVs, WFH computers and gaming consoles to name a few, you establish a reliable dedicated link to the network which typically results in faster, more stable internet speeds with less Wi-Fi interference. Wi-Fi connected devices also benefit when you hardwire data hungry devices, since it reduces network congestion and opens up the airwaves for Wi-Fi only devices. If you need a consistent and strong internet connection, hardwiring remains the preferred choice for now.

Frequency and network congestion

There are three different frequency bands available for Wi-Fi:

  • 2.4 GHz: Most common on all Wi-Fi devices and routers. 2.4 GHz spectrum usually reaches more areas and offers wider coverage. However, it has considerably less bandwidth than other frequencies, meaning you may experience buffering and inconsistent speeds.  

  • 5 GHz: Most modern smartphones, laptops and Wi-Fi routers support this. The 5.0 GHz spectrum has a shorter range but can power many devices at once, so smartphone and laptop users won’t have to worry about interruptions on this frequency. 

  • 6 GHZ: Recently launched for public use and available only in high-end Wi-Fi 6 compatible devices, also known as Wi-Fi 6E. It provides even faster speeds, increased bandwidth and less congestion than the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. For the first time, Wi-Fi 6E offers faster speeds than some ethernet cables out there. Due to operating in a higher frequency band, 6 GHz has a slightly less coverage area than 5 Ghz. If you want to be an early adopter and help us test these latest technologies, sign-up here.

Users typically don’t have to decide which frequency to use. Routers can automatically select the best frequency for your device, as long as your Wi-Fi name and password are common across all three frequency bands. Don’t worry though, most routers default to this setting so there’s nothing for you to figure out. In some cases, it may make sense to separate the 2.4 GHz from other Wi-Fi bands. This will create a dedicated network for your 2.4 GHz devices but your smartphones and other mobile devices will have a hard time seamlessly connecting to your 5 and 6 GHz Wi-Fi as you move around the house. Therefore, we recommend keeping the default setting on your router. Pro tip: In rare instances if your Wi-Fi network is not performing as expected, restarting your router can typically solve most common problems. 

While there are many things that affect your Wi-Fi experience, implementing these strategies can help ensure a faster and more reliable Wi-Fi connection. For most people, Wi-Fi is the primary way of getting online, so getting the most out of your Wi-Fi will help you get the most out of the internet. 

Posted By Ishan Patel, Product manager

Is your internet “high fiber”? Nutrition labels can make it clear

If you've ever signed up for internet service and honestly not been sure what is included in the price, you're not alone. So the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is doing something about it.


There’s been a lot of talk about the FCC’s Broadband Consumer Labels. These “nutrition labels” are designed to make it easy for customers to understand what they are paying for and what they are getting when it comes to their internet service from any provider. We think it’s a great idea, and we didn’t think that Google Fiber customers should have to wait for that clarity. As of today, GFiber is launching nutrition labels for our residential 1 Gig, 2 Gig, 5 Gig, and 8 Gig products — some of the first to roll out anywhere.


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As you can see, the labels clearly show customers what they can expect when it comes to speed, price, and any fees that might apply, along with information regarding data caps and contracts (no caps or annual contracts here as you can see).


GFiber has always strived to provide clear pricing and value ($70 for a Gig since day one with equipment and installation included and no data caps or annual contracts), along with transparent billing for our customers, and we believe that these nutrition labels will further aid in that effort. For too long, our industry has hidden behind fees and pricing tactics that made it difficult for people to truly compare their internet options. Labels like these allow customers to understand what they are paying and what’s included — and what’s not — in that price. 


GFiber will update these labels to reflect the FCC's guidelines by the 2024 deadline. We believe that internet should be simple and straightforward — and as our new labels show, at GFiber it clearly is. For more information, please check out our Broadband Labels page.


Posted by Ariane Schaffer, Government Affairs & Public Policy Manager.

Speeding up in Huntsville – 5 Gig now available!

Rocket City is about to get even faster — customers in Alabama can now sign up for Google Fiber’s symmetrical 5 Gig service for $125 a month.


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With up to 5,000 mbps symmetrical upload and download speeds, 5 Gig is designed for households that need more than just fast internet. With a Wi-Fi 6 router included, up to two mesh extenders, a 10 Gig Fiber Jack, and professional installation, you’ll get a faster internet experience throughout your home. And as always, GFiber has no data caps or annual contracts. 


And even if you aren’t quite ready for all that speed, you may still be able to get faster Wi-Fi! Huntsville GFiber 1 Gig customers who are still using their Google Fiber network boxes as their router are eligible for an upgrade to a new Wi-Fi 6 router at no additional cost. Switching to Wi-Fi 6 can provide up to 30% faster speeds on compatible devices and give you more control of your home network through the Google Fiber app. Check your eligibility today and to bring your home network up to speed.


Better internet is something we can all agree on — whatever that means for you and your household. GFiber is committed to bringing our customers internet that meets their needs and helps them make the most of everything they do online.


Posted by Nick Saporito, Head of Product