Google Fiber to expand to Irvine

Google Inc. hopes to expand its ultra-fast Internet service to San Diego, Irvine and Louisville, Ky., the company said Thursday.

Google Fiber, which delivers Internet speeds of 1 gigabit per second, is about three times faster than premium high-speed Internet services from providers such as AT&T.

The tech giant has already introduced the service in Kansas City, Kan.; Kansas City, Mo.; Provo, Utah, and Austin, Texas. It’s on track to add it in Salt Lake City, San Antonio and 18 cities in Georgia, Tennessee and North Carolina, according to the Associated Press.

“Our next step is to begin a joint planning process with city leaders,” Jill Szuchmacher, director of Google Fiber Expansion, wrote in a blog post about San Diego and Irvine. “To kick things off, we’ll work with Irvine, Louisville and San Diego to conduct a detailed study of factors that affect construction, such as local topography, housing density, and the condition of existing infrastructure,” she said.

Google charges $70 a month for the service, which was introduced five years ago to give Internet users faster access to the company’s products.