An Honest Google Fiber Review, According to Customers

Google has four different internet plans to choose from. Prices start at $70 a month for the basic plan, which delivers gigabit speeds of 1,000Mbps. You can pay more for multi-gigabit options, including a plan that tops out at 8,000Mbps. Most internet users are going to be content with Google Fiber’s basic plan—a download speed of 1,000Mbps gives you enough bandwidth to cover basically any internet need you could have. But a multi-gig plan may be better suited for very large homes, tech experts, and professional content creators.

You don’t have to worry about data caps, equipment fees, contracts, or any other extra fees with Google Fiber. The price you see is what you pay every month. When you sign up for Google Fiber, you receive all the necessary equipment for no extra fee, including the router and a mesh extender. The mesh router comes in handy if you need to extend the Wi-Fi to accommodate a large home, garage, or patio area.

Some internet providers require you to enter into an annual contract to get the best deal, but that’s not the case with Google Fiber. The service works month to month, and you can cancel your service without having to worry about contract termination fees. Just make sure to return all the equipment to avoid any charges to your account.

Google Fiber typically doesn’t offer deals or promotions in the same way that many other internet providers do. But that’s because Google Fiber itself is the deal—you get symmetrical speeds, gigabit capabilities, and unlimited data starting at just $70 a month, with no extra fees for installation or equipment. 

It’s been a trend over the past few years for fiber internet providers to offer ridiculously fast internet plans with advertised speeds of 2,000Mbps or more, and it’s unsurprising that Google Fiber has hopped on the bandwagon to offer multi-gigabit internet plans that can reach all the way up to 8,000Mbps.

Does anybody even need internet speeds that fast, though? It’s not like you can change the course of the football game you’re steaming by our download speeds alone. Besides, in order to get download speeds over 1,000Mbps, you usually need a designated set up with a Wi-Fi 6 router and hardwired Ethernet connection.

“I tested 2Gbps, 5Gbps and 10Gbps Google Fiber speeds, but I have chosen to stay on the 1Gbps plan,” said RJ Bass, the Google Fiber customer based out of Kansas City. “Even though I have a very robust, enterprise-grade network for my home network, I don't have the ability to get speeds over 1GB to any of my wired or wireless devices unless I spend a lot more money on networking hardware.”

Getting a multi-gigabit internet plan is a bit like buying a Ferrari or a monster truck: Simply unnecessary for most people. “Speeds of over 1Gbps right now would be a complete waste of money,” Bass added.

That said, Google can deliver the bandwidth firepower if you need it: several Reddit users submitted speed tests with Google Fiber while connected with an ethernet connection, and sure enough, the speed tests showed results that exceeded advertised speeds. You might consider a multi-gigabit plan, then, if you’re a power user who regularly connects your device to the modem with an ethernet cable.

Unless you connect your device directly to your Google Fiber modem with an Ethernet cable, you likely won’t get the advertised download speeds. Over Wi-Fi, I get download speeds that range from 300Mbps to 500Mbps at any given time with the 1 Gig Fiber plan. 

According to Google Fiber’s website, the Wi-Fi 6 router that comes with the 2Gbps, 5Gbps, and 8Gbps Google Fiber plans maxes out at 1.6GB speeds. Even if you pay for the 8Gbps plan, you can’t get download speeds over 1.6Gbps over a Wi-Fi connection (for now). Google Fiber has been teasing a Wi-Fi 7 modem, claiming it’s coming soon, but we’ll have to wait and see what kind of speeds come with new Wi-Fi technology.

Google Fiber is currently available in 35 cities around the country, including San Francisco, Austin, Seattle, and Miami. The best way to find out if you have Google Fiber is by searching your zip code below—take a look to see if it’s available on your block.

Fiber is the best technology for home internet. It easily beats out cable in terms of speed—mostly thanks to fiber’s multi-gigabit bandwidth capabilities and symmetrical upload and downloads. Google Fiber may look pricey on paper, but the fact that you don’t have to sign a contract or deal with extra fees for installation or equipment makes it competitive with many cable and 5G home internet. Naturally, it also blows DSL out of the water in pretty much every way.

Google Fiber doesn’t offer any bundle discounts, like what you can get with Cox or Verizon Fios, so there’s nothing you can do to push the price down even further. It would be nice if Google Fiber offered new customers a promotional discount on a streaming subscription like YouTube TV. That’s not available through Google Fiber, but it’s not a loss considering you still get a sweet deal.

If you can’t get Google Fiber in your neighborhood, or just want a cheaper alternative, 5G Home Internet from T-Mobile or Verizon could be the way to go. You don’t get the same fast speeds, but you can still get enough speeds for basic streaming and gaming, along with unlimited data and free installation/equipment—all costing you less money per month.

Google Fiber is available in only 35 cities in the United States, but it’s probably the best deal you could possibly get on internet: The gigabit speeds, symmetrical uploads, and fiber reliability make it worth every penny. Want Google Fiber? Take a look to see if it’s available where you live.