In its ongoing march to overhaul the Internet, Google is apparently deciding to take it to Texas for Google Fiber’s next territory. The word leaked early largely thanks to somebody at Google screwing up.
A tipster informs us that the news section on the Google Fiber “Cities” page is currently (3AM ET) flashing a “Google Fiber’s Next Stop: Austin, Texas” header. While author “SoAndSo” is not particularly well known, we’d figure this removes any remaining doubt where the service is landing next.
Also, local news agencies actually did their job for once and hit the bricks. Local Austin TV station KVUE has apparently confirmed all the rumors, making the upcoming press announcement pretty much a formality.
It’s especially important because Google is firing a shot across cable’s bow with this one. Kansas City, while a lovely location full of many charming people, was not the most vital technology center on the map. Austin, on the other hand, has plenty of tech types who desperately want Google Fiber; it’s hard to imagine companies like Blizzard not giving Google however much it wants to get their systems set up.
And it also makes it clear to cable companies that Google isn’t goofing around. Up to this point, they’ve been able to claim that Google Fiber is just an experiment that’s never going to catch on. Jumping to a new major market, though, means that Google is serious. How they react will be particularly interesting over the coming year.