Austin, Texas, could be the next stop for Google's coveted gigabit network. The search giant and the city of Austin have invited members of the press as well as business leaders to a joint event tomorrow. Naturally, both Google and Austin city officials aren't commenting on the event.
It's all speculation at this point but Austin was pretty high in the running with regards to the initial fiber rollout. Of course, it's entirely possible that the announcement could be related to something completely different like a new Google office coming to the city or a new service such as same-day delivery.
We do know that Google chairman Eric Schmidt has said in the past that Kansas City won't be the only location to receive the speedy network. What's more, Austin would be a great choice for Google Fiber - arguably a better location than Kansas City. The area is home to a number of large technology companies, a major university and a booming tech startup scene as it hosts the SXSW technology and music festival each year.
One would suspect that pricing for Google's Internet service would mirror what's available in Kansas City. The entry level tier delivers 5Mbps down, 1Mbps up absolutely free for seven years. All you have to pay is a $300 activation fee up front. Locals can get speedy gigabit speeds (both up and down) for just $70 per month or for $120 monthly, you can receive HDTV service in addition to the net connection.