Legacy Cable Operators in Austin Are Terrified of Google Fiber

The power dynamic will not shift overnight, but the newly announced launch of Google Fiber in the tech-savvy gulch that is Austin, Texas, has legacy cable operators shaking in their boots. And with good reason.

On paper, literally everything about Google Fiber makes standard digital-cable service look like something that was cobbled together by members of a lesser phylum. Boasting gigabit download/upload speeds (up to 1,000 Megabits per second), Google's connectivity is roughly 70 times faster than Time Warner Cable’s standard 15 Mbps plan. Google Fiber TV is just as head spinning, allowing subscribers to record up to eight programs simultaneously while offering two terabytes of storage, on par with the capacity of DISH Network's Hopper. When Google Fiber late last year began transforming Kansas City into the nation's sole "no-buffering zone," incumbent Time Warner Cable established a hotline for locals to report tips and rumors about the construction effort. To sweeten the pot, TWC rewarded select members of its spy network with $50 gift certificates.