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LG's V50 ThinQ 5G is up for pre-order tomorrow from Sprint
Starting tomorrow, customers in select cities can preorder Sprint's first two 5G devices -- the LG V50 ThinQ 5G and HTC 5G Hub. They'll be available in Sprint's first four expected 5G markets -- Atlanta, Dallas, Houston and Kansas City -- by May 31st. And in the next few weeks, they'll hit Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, Phoenix and Washington, DC. Sprint's announcement suggests its on track with its goal to launch 5G in those cities this spring.
Samsung's Galaxy S10 5G is available for pre-order at Verizon
Verizon (Engadget's parent company) has opened pre-orders for the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G. You'll need access to 5G connections to get the most out of the device of course, so the provider has also named 20 more cities in which it will turn on its mobile 5G network this year.
San Antonio is getting Google Fiber
Nearly six months after the city cleared a steeplechase-worth of legal hurdles, Google has finally announced that it will be installing its ultrafast fiber-optic network in San Antonio, Texas. Google cites San Antonio's 1.4 million residents and thriving tech scene -- including the country's first all-digital library, the Bexar BiblioTech -- as reasons for the selection. The fact that San Antonio was recently chosen for the President Tech Hire and Connect Home initiatives didn't hurt, either. The company will spend the next few months coordinating with city leaders on how best to lay the 4,000 miles of necessary fiber-optic cable. There's no word yet on when the 1,000 Mbps service will actually begin.
Google Fiber announces 180 qualified fiberhoods, sets approximate rollout schedule
As promised, the complete list of 180 (no more, no less) fiberhoods which qualified for Google Fiber service has been announced. With it, the approximate construction schedule has also been posted online, confirming Hanover Heights in Kansas (October) and Crown Center in Missouri (Spring 2013) will lead off the deployment for their respective areas. If you live in a qualifying area and have not signed up yet, you will be able to sign up or change plans when installations actually begin, which will be October 2nd in Hanover Heights. All of the info about Google's gigabit internet service and how to get it is at the blog and if you're still waffling, remember -- it has ESPN now. Update: If that wasn't enough, Google has also expanded its channel lineup a bit more with Boomerang, Cartoon Network, CNN, CNN en Español, CNN International, HLN, hTV, infinito, MLB Strikezone (as part of an add-on package),TBS, TCM: Turner Classic Movies, TNT and truTV.
Google Fiber pre-registration program closes in the Kansas Cities
Gigabit internet speeds are nothing more than a dream for most of us, but for residents of the Kansas Cities, that reality is not far off. The six-week pre-registration program for Google's Fiber network closed yesterday, and at least 180 of the 202 "fiberhoods" earmarked for the upgrade have met their target. That number could rise when all the late entries have been counted, but we won't know until the complete list of areas drops later this week. If yours doesn't make the cut, it's not all bad news: Google's Jenna Wandres told us that although this initial rollout covers Kansas City, KS, and central Kansas City, MO, Fiber will be expanding north and south of the Missouri side in the future. When pre-registration opens for this second round, the 20-some-odd areas that failed to meet the initial criteria will get a second chance to, so start being extra nice to the neighbors if you want to get them on board. Unfortunately, we couldn't confirm even a ball park date for the expansion, but for the 180-plus hoods that qualify on this occasion, it's time to get excited. Any RTS gamer will know the value of getting your openers tight, and El Goog's currently compiling a "build order" so the areas that expressed the most interest in Fiber will have it first. According to Jenna, implementation is coming "very soon," so be ready to repress that hysterical scream when you see a Google truck casing your block.
NFL Network, a la carte NFL RedZone Channel are coming to Google Fiber subscribers
It isn't quite ESPN, but sports fans who also happen to love technology -- yes, they exist -- will be happy to know that choosing Google Fiber doesn't mean going without NFL Network and NFL RedZone. All Google Fiber subscribers will get NFL Network, while NFL RedZone will run you $10 a month, but for only four months of the year. Not exactly just in time, though, as you won't be able to subscribe to NFL RedZone until one day after the first Sunday of football on September 10th. Either way, this is huge news if you're a fan of the most popular sport in the US -- but not so much for Timer Warner Cable which is the single biggest cable provider who doesn't carry it, and happens to compete against Google for subscribers in Kansas City.
Google Fiber gets formal launch, adds Google Fiber TV (update: event video)
Google just kicked its Google Fiber efforts into overdrive. The company's Kansas City effort is getting a full launch and now includes Google Fiber TV -- a "real" TV service with recognizable channels and its own, fully searchable interface that mixes DVR results with Netflix and YouTube. As many as 500 shows can be stored in full 1080p HD, and several TVs within the home can tune in at the same time.. Not surprisingly, there's also a major mobile component taking advantage of that 1Gbps fiber link, as users will have the option of browsing, sharing and eventually watching live TV directly from tablet apps. The company is also promising an ever-evolving service that includes Google+ video hangouts. For hardware, Google has its own dedicated Network Box with a four-port gigabit Ethernet router and 802.11n WiFi, a TV Box with live viewing and a WiFi access point as well as a Storage Box DVR with 2TB of data and the ability to record eight shows at once. Your remote control? A free, bundled Nexus 7 tablet, naturally. The overall service will come with 1TB of Google Drive space, although it's expensive to get started: there's a $300 "construction fee" (currently being waived) to wire a home for the fiber optics. Three packages will be on offer, starting with a Gigabit + TV package that includes the essentials, all major channels and "hundreds" of fiber channels (plus on-demand content) for $120 a month. Skip traditional TV and it costs $70 a month -- and if you're a local resident willing to pony up the construction free, you can get 5Mbps internet access for free for "at least" seven years. Key institutions are getting the full gigabit access for free, as well. Only small slices of Kansas City in both Missouri and Kansas state should have access at first, but Google is conducting a six-week "rally" where the most people paying a $10 pre-registration fee dictate where Google Fiber goes next. Now if only other cities would go the same route. Update: The full event replay is available for your inspection after the break. %Gallery-161174%
Google Fiber is coming on July 26, Kansas readies to open its pipes
We're always being told we need more fiber in our lives. For most people, that might constitute a second bowl of cereal in the morning -- for the lucky Google Fiber-receiving residents of Kansas City (or Kansas City) however, it means big spoonfuls of super fast internet. While the project has been in the virtual pipes for a while, finally it looks like we're ready for the next step. July 26th, Google advises, is the date for diary. Better pencil that one in, and consider any last-minute hardware upgrades.
Sprint flips the switch on LTE in Kansas City, your Galaxy S III just got a whole lot better
A few weeks back, Sprint had said its fresh Long Term Evolution waves would be hitting a total of five markets by July 15th, but it looks like one lucky city is seeing the changes kick in a wee bit earlier than expected. According to S4GRU, the site's been hit with endless tips from folks like yourself, all claiming The Now Network's LTE signal is now live in Kansas City, while others are also noticing the speed boosts in places like St. Joseph, Manhattan and Missouri. How about you, though? Is your shiny new LTE-capable slab (read: Galaxy S III or EVO 4G LTE) now getting the "true 4G" treatment? Feel free to let us know in the comments below.
Google Fiber GFHD100 'IP set-top box' breezes through the FCC, doesn't say where it's headed
The future of Google as a hardware manufacturer (beyond its purchase of Motorola) continues to be shrouded in rumor and mystery, but the GFHD100 box that just popped up in the FCC's database is very much a fact. As seen in the pictures, it's sporting a Google Fiber label which suggests it's a part of rolling out video services to the Kansas Cities, and also reveals it's being built for Google by Humax. The MAC address shown in the picture is registered to Google directly, while the test report calls it an IP-set top box, equipped with WiFi, IR, USB, Ethernet, HDMI input and output and an Ethernet / coax (we assume MoCA?) bridge, which sounds similar to the boxes favored by Verizon's FiOS. Unfortunately our only view of the device itself is from underneath so there's not much else to glean about its abilities or possible relation to the hardware Google has reportedly been testing around the country, but you can hit the source link below to dig through the documents yourself or check a close up of the label (we tried the QR code, it appears to be for registration but it didn't work) after the break.
Google gets go ahead to provide video services to all Kansas City residents
In what may be a watershed moment for in-home entertainment, both Kansas and Missouri have given Google permission to provide video services to Kansas City residents as a part of its Google Fiber project. Missouri's Public Service Commission gave Big G the thumbs up on March 1st, and Kansas' Corporation Commission followed suit last Friday, meaning Google now has the green light to provide video services to residents on either side of the state line. Of course, the folks in Mountain View haven't committed to taking down the cable companies just yet, but these approvals put the necessary franchise licensing in place for them to do so if they choose. Comcast, Cox, Time Warner... your newest competitor has arrived. [Thanks, Jerry]
Google Fiber just got better? Big G asks for permission to provide video service to Kansas City
Here we thought the citizens of Kansas City couldn't get any more fortunate after being chosen by Google to get a fiber optic gigabit network. Turns out, Google Fiber may be bringing more than just web access, as the company has asked the state of Missouri to allow it to deliver video services as well. We first heard about Big G's possible foray into pay-TV late last year, as the company was in talks with various content providers to see if it could make it happen. Given this official move towards becoming a video provider in America's heartland, we'd say those conversations must have gone fairly well. Either that, or the folks in Kansas City will be watching a whole lot of YouTube's new niche content.
Sprint adds Kansas City and Baltimore to list of LTE markets
If you've been waiting to see if your 'hood would be next up for Sprint to bless with a shiny new LTE network we've got some potentially good news: by mid-2012 both Kansas City (regardless of what side of the Kansas / Missouri border you happen to be on) and Baltimore will be online. Those two cities will bring the total number of Sprint LTE markets to six, as they join the previously announced Houston, Dallas, San Antonio and Atlanta. The carrier and CEO Dan Hesse refused to be any more specific about a launch date on today's earnings call, though, we can tell you the service should be launching alongside the Galaxy Nexus, LG Viper and a Sierra Wireless mobile hotspot capable of connecting via CDMA, WiMAX and LTE. Check out the PR after the break for more details.
Google Fiber rollout now ready to begin in both Kansas Cities
It reportedly suffered a slight delay due to some disagreement with local officials over just how its thousands of miles of wires would be hung, but Google announced today that it's finally ready to begin the rollout of its Google Fiber network in Kansas City, Kansas and Kansas City, Missouri. Expectedly, that effort will initially focus on the network's backbone, after which Google will then turn its attention towards connecting homes and businesses in the two cities to the gigabit network (promising speeds 100 times faster than the average high-speed connection). Unfortunately, there's still no firm word as to when the first customers can expect that to happen.
Google Offers expands to five new locales, hipsters in Portland nonchalantly recall being first
Despite Mountain View's efforts to the contrary, neither Google Wallet nor Offers, have yet to set the payment sector alight. That doesn't mean the search giant's throwing in the towel, as it vehemently expands the latter into five additional cities here in the United States. Residents of Charlotte, Kansas City, Milwaukee, San Antonio and Tampa will soon be able to participate in all sorts of discounted debauchery, joining bargain-hunters in the service's existing 33 locales. Those eager ought to hit the source links to begin, but before leaving, regale us with an outrageous tale involving a discount in the comments below.
AT&T expanding LTE to 15 markets on November 20th
AT&T started out small, but it made a promise to blanket 15 cities with LTE by the end of the year, and by golly, it's going to keep it. In its press release announcing the Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9, it also mentioned six additional markets to be graced by the super-fast speeds on November 20th. So by this time next week, customers in Charlotte, Las Vegas, Kansas City, Oklahoma City, Indianapolis and San Juan, Puerto Rico will be able to make their HTC Vivid, Jetstream and Samsung Skyrocket go a-blazin'. New York City? Sorry, not this round, but we're making progress. Check out the press release tidbit after the break.
Google might offer TV / phone service over its fiber network
Google has mentioned more than once that its Google TV platform isn't about replacing traditional pay-TV services, and now the Wall Street Journal reports it might be about to offer one of its own. Don't cancel your cable, satellite or IPTV service just yet though, as this would merely be an expansion of the fiber internet it will offer in the Kansas Cities, offering video and phone service as well. Reportedly it's looked into offering channels from the families of Disney, Time Warner and Discovery, but nothing is set in stone at this point. As CBS' attitude towards Apple TV makes clear, actually getting into the service biz can be complicated and costly, but we figure Mountain View has to fill those 1Gbps pipes with something other than Turquoise Jeep videos.
Google Fiber beta test goes live, bathes Stanford in high-speed regularity
When we last checked in on the Google Fiber project, engineers were busy laying the groundwork for a 1Gbps network across both Kansas Cities, while preparing to launch a beta test near Stanford. Now, it looks like the beta service has gone live in the Palo Alto area, according to a lucky Reddit user who claims to be using it. The ISP is available free of charge to students and faculty members within the area, at pretty mouth-watering speeds. No word yet on when the Kansas City communities will receive similar treatment, but you can gaze in awe at the Stanford Speedtest result, after the break.
Google Fiber puts boots on the ground, begins detail engineering in Kansas Cities
We've come a long way since Google first started taking about launching a fiber-based ISP -- from beta tests, to hopeful communities, to Topeka fools day, to selecting not one, but two Kansas Cities. Now, it's "boots on the ground," time according to the Google Fiber blog: detail engineering starts now. In the coming weeks, Kansas City residents (presumably on both sides of the Kansas / Missouri border) can expect to see El Goog's engineers measuring phone poles, gathering geographical data, and asking hard-hitting questions, like "What is your address?" All this footwork will help Google get a head start on building that sweet, ultra-high-speed gigabit network. Not the most glamorous bit of Google magic we've ever seen, but it's still exciting to hear that preliminary work has begun. Of course, it would be even more exciting if this were coming where we lived.
Google adds Kansas City, MO to list of Kansas Cities covered by ultra high-speed internet (video)
It's gotta be rough being a Kansas City sometimes. It must be a constant cycle of excitement, only to realize that everyone was talking about your identically-named neighbor -- like back in late March, when Google first announced plans to bring its ultra high-speed internet fiber to the Kansas side of the border. Things are looking up for our friends in Kansas City, Missouri, however -- the city's awesomely-named Mayor Sly James held a press conference with Google and Kansas City Power & Light today to announce that his town will be joining in on the bandwidthy fun. Both Kansas Cities can expect to go ultra high-speed next year, pricing on either side of the invisible line remains elusive. Video of joyous local government officials after the break.
