In brief: Google is looking to partner with a handful of organizations to help test its ridiculously fast 20 Gig symmetrical Internet service. Businesses, educational institutions, and non-profits in Austin, Salt Lake City, Huntsville, and Raleigh-Durham are invited to sign up for consideration.
Nick Saporito, head of multi-gig & commercial product at Google, said they are only looking for eight additional partners so space is incredibly limited.
Ideal candidates include those that are already downloading and uploading massive data sets, those conducting research that commands loads of bandwidth, or perhaps organizations working on future-focused tech that Google hasn't even yet considered but needs lots of throughput. If selected for the test, Google will reach out to your organization to discuss the next steps.
Google has been testing the 20 Gig service since at least late last year. We know this because Saporito shared a screenshot of a speed test conducted at his house in Kansas City highlighting his connection's throughput.
Speaking to his home connection, Saporito said he tried to test its limits by streaming as many World Cup games in 4K as he had devices but didn't even come close to saturating the connection.
Google has also been working with the University of Missouri – Kansas City on the project. According to Saporito, the university's School of Science and Engineering is leveraging its 20 Gig connection to tackle big data sets and advance virtual reality.
The search giant has already rolled out slower (yet still very fast) Internet service in select regions across the country. Residents in West Des Moines, Kansas City, and the Salt Lake City metropolitan area can sign up for symmetrical 5 Gig service that comes with a Wi-Fi 6 router, up to two mesh extenders and professional installation for $125 per month. Even faster 8 Gig service is available to those in parts of West Des Moines for $150 a month. Both offerings include an upgraded 10 Gig fiber jack for even faster speeds in the future.