Google Fiber plans to expand to five new states

What you need to know

• Google Fiber is expanding fiber-to-the-home service to cities in Arizona, Colorado, Nebraska, Nevada, and Idaho.
• The provider will also continue to expand within its existing cities.
• Google Fiber is also beginning construction soon in Des Moines, Iowa, following neighboring West Des Moines. 

Google Fiber has been helping to normalize the idea of fiber optic internet at home for years, though expansion hasn't been easy. However, Google Fiber revealed on Wednesday that it would bring fiber internet service to five new states, including previously announced Mesa, Arizona. Google Fiber will also be coming to Colorado, Nebraska, Nevada, and Idaho.

Google Fiber noted in its blog post that the company is also pushing forward with expansion in Des Moines, Iowa, and continuing building in neighboring West Des Moines. To that point, the blog post points out that Google Fiber hasn't been asleep at the wheel these past few years as it expands the service in its existing cities. The company is also pushing Google Fiber Webpass, which provides internet connections to residential buildings rather than focusing on individual homes.

Google Fiber provides two internet packages to residents with a 1 Gig and 2 Gig option. Unlike most cable providers, upload speeds on these connections are fast at 1 Gigabit per second. The 1 Gig plan comes in at $70 per month with a Google Wi-Fi mesh router. The 2 Gig plan is $100 per month with a multi-gig Wi-Fi 6 mesh router. You could also use your own router with either plan if you've upgraded to one of the best Wi-Fi 6 routers.

Despite these fairly competitive prices, Google Fiber has had to start thinking more like a business since splitting off into its own company under Alphabet. Speaking to Reuters, CEO Dinni Jain commented on Google Fiber's direction. "The intent is to build businesses that will be successful in and of their own right, and that is what we are trying to do at Google Fiber for sure," Jain said.

Google Fiber is available in the following cities:

• Atlanta, GA
• Austin, TX,
• Charlotte, NC
• Des Moines, IA (coming soon)
• Huntsville, AL
• Kansas City, KS/MO
• Mesa, AZ (coming soon)
• Nashville, TN
• Orange County, CA
• Provo, UT
• Salt Lake City, UT
• San Antonio, TX
• The Triangle, NC
• West Des Moines, IA

Google Fiber is available in some building via Google Webpass in the following cities:

• Chicago, IL
• Denver, CO
• Miami, FL
• Oakland, CA
• San Diego, CA
• Seattle, WA

While Google Fiber can't expand to every city in the U.S., some other providers are helping to shake up the status quo such as Starlink and T-Mobile 5G Home offering competitive alternatives to overpriced cable internet, or in places where there's no wired option at all.