Google to trial new super-fast broadband

Internet giant Google has announced plans to build ultra high-speed broadband networks, which could provide speeds that are up to 10 times faster than the proposed National Broadband Network.

The company said it will be offering the service to at least 50,000 people, with the initial offering to be provided to as many as 500,000. Essentially, the company is entering the telecommunications market.

“We’re planning to build and test ultra high-speed broadband networks in a small number of trial locations across the United States,” Google product managers Minnie Ingersoll and James Kelly said in a blog post.

“We’ll deliver internet speeds more than 100 times faster than what most Americans have access to today with one gigabit per second, fibre-to-the-home connections.”

The company said the network will be open access, which will allow consumers to choose which service provider they would like to partner with.

Google is now accepting submissions from communities which want to take part in the trial. The Federal Communications Commission has said it is pleased with the new plans.