Google Fiber no longer a moonshot — it's a 'real business'

Demand is spreading far faster than Google Fiber is. Fiber operates only in a handful of cities, with six more being built out, and it's in discussion with 13 more cities. Consumers on social media are vocal about wanting it in their cities, and mayors — eager to flaunt access to cutting edge Internet – vie to be chosen by Google.

The slow pace of expansion is frustrating some consumers and it's allowing competitors to race ahead. Among them: AT&T, whose GigaPower Network is already in 25 major metropolitan areas and is expanding to an additional 31, many of them this year. AT&T is also experimenting with a 5G wireless service in Austin (TX) with speeds of up to 14 gigabits per second in early tests. Comcast has rolled out gigabit service in Atlanta (GA) and Nashville (TN), and plans to introduce it this year in Chicago (IL), Detroit (MI) and Miami (FL) with more markets coming. It also offers 2-gigabits-a-second service called Gigabit Pro. And Comcast is testing a new wireless service that delivers speeds approaching one gigabit. Welcome to the gigabit wars. Who will win? You.