When Google Fiber first came, it came with an attractive offer: pay a one-time installation fee and get free Internet access. But some things are just too good to be true, and free Internet is just one of them. The Internet service was not actually free as consumers had a pay a rather bulky but one-time $300 installation fee.
Google Fiber aims to attract more users
Fiber, which is now directly under Alphabet, will be removing the installation fee and in its place, it will be charging a monthly subscription in Kansas City, which enjoyed the privilege of getting Fiber before any other city. Also it will offer faster speeds, so it cannot be said whether it is good or bad news for the people of Kansas City.
An Alphabet representative unofficially confirmed the news of the price change but declined to speak more about the reasons for this price change, says Re/code. Probably, the main reason behind this change is to attract more subscribers.
Not once has Google Fiber revealed how many subscribers it has or what plans they choose, but Fiber will stop charging the hefty installation fee of $300 (which may have kept some subscribers away) after discarding the free tier.
Options available to users
The free option is still available in Fiber markets Austin, Texas and Provo, Utah. Access, the Alphabet unit handling Fiber, possibly is being pressured to make the service more profitable as, next to Google, it is the most expensive Alphabet unit.
Depending on how things turn out later in the year, Kansas will have only two options available. One is the normal Fiber 100 that costs $50 per month and offers 100 Mbps download and upload speeds, and the second option is free service, although it is available only in public housing. The second option is part of the U.S. Housing and Urban Development partnership with the search giant (declared last February). Kansas is, coincidentally, the first city to test this program as well.
The monthly subscription has its advantages too. The 100 Mbps rate is exponentially faster and on par with other Internet providers, whereas the free Internet version was offered at 5 Mbps speeds only. Another option includes a super-fast gigabit Internet at $70 a month and bundled TV service at $130 monthly. Kansas City Fiber subscribers can keep their free Internet service until May 19, according to letters sent to them.
