Now there are three. As we’ve reported, AT&T and Google Fiber are competing in a lobbying effort to gain the backing of local municipalities in offering their cities 1 Gigabit per second (1Gbps) internet access that is up to 100-times faster than the broadband access most Americans now have. Cable giant Cox Communications has now joined the competition of claims by announcing that within two weeks, it will name the markets it will target with its 1Gbps service, according to Bloomberg News.
“We’re working on our road map now to bring gigabit speeds to customers this year,” Cox CEO Pat Esser said on Tuesday in an interview with Bloomberg TV.
The Cox announcement came before today’s deadline imposed by Google Fiber on cities wanting to be considered for their service. According to the WSJ.com Digits Blog, all 34 cities considered for the expansion of Google’s fiber internet service met the deadline by responding to a 29-page checklist of requirements from the company.
Cox, a privately-held company, has about 6 million residential and business customers, according to Bloomberg. Most of their customers currently see speeds of up to 25 megabits per second, Esser said. While the fiber service is being described as a consumer product, businesses make up a significant portion of Cox’s revenue. Esser said in the interview that more than $1.6 billion in 2013 sales came from Cox’s business clients who pay the company for internet and phones connections.
Google Fiber recently announced it will expanding its Kansas City service to businesses before the end of 2014.