Mike Freeman

A key hurdle to widespread gigabit-speed Internet is the high cost of getting fiber optic lines over the last mile -- from the fiber backbone in nearby streets to each house. But increasingly, cellular operators, broadband providers including Google Fiber and several startups are exploring a new, less expensive way to bridge the last mile gap – wireless technology. Google Fiber – which named San Diego (CA) as a potential city for building an ultra-fast fiber optic Internet network -- said in Oct that it would pause future fiber optic roll outs in San Diego and seven other potential Google Fiber cities while it explored new approaches.

Among those is wireless, including high frequency airwaves, which can deliver gigabit data rates over short, line of sight distances but also tend to bounce erratically off obstacles and degrade in rain or fog. Don’t expect Google Fiber to incorporate wireless into fiber networks anytime soon. There are still many questions about how viable wireless can be, and what licenses would be required from federal regulators in various airwave bands. But recent improvements in antenna technology and beam forming techniques to more precisely steer these high frequency airwaves are fueling optimism about their ability to span the last mile. Certain high frequency airwaves have been earmarked to become part of the spectrum dedicated for upcoming gigabit class 5G cellular networks.

Cox Communications, third largest cable provider, may be entering the race to bring ultrafast Internet to homes and apartments, joining AT&T and Google Fiber in efforts to bulk up broadband speeds. Cox plans to begin offering 1 gigabit per second Internet speeds to residential customers in 2014.

Cox president and chief executive Pat Esser did not reveal specifics about the company’s plans, including how widespread the 1 gigabit service would be offered or which cities would get it first.

Cox is San Diego County’s largest cable company, with roughly 500,000 subscribers across its local footprint. The company also serves Orange County, Phoenix and several other regions nationwide.