AT&T and Google on Collision Course in Fiber Optic Internet Battle

Two heavyweights are sizing each other up as they prepare to bring ultra-fast fiber optic Internet technology to major markets across the United States. AT&T and Google appear set for a showdown, as AT&T has just announced a proposal to bring its Gigapower high-speed internet service to a list of 21 cities across the United States, including Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

The AT&T announcement comes just months after Google revealed plans to bring its Google Fiber service to as many as 34 new markets across the United States. In February of this year, Google announced that it was considering the expansion of Google Fiber into cities including Atlanta, Nashville, Portland and San Jose. Google Fiber made its debut in Kansas City last year, and was subsequently offered in Austin, Texas and Provo, Utah.

Industry insiders believe that AT&T’s interest in their targeted markets is part of a concerted strategy to beat Google to the punch. Gigapower fiber optic connections will initially offer speeds as high as 300 megabits per second, and AT&T promises to provide customers with the option to upgrade to 1 gigabyte per second at no extra charge within a year.

As an iPad app development company, the dawn of the fiber optic Internet age brings new challenges and opportunities. The move towards ultra-fast Internet will open the door to a whole new world of digital device capabilities. However, it will be some time before network infrastructure is universally available.

Cities being targeted for a fiber optic Internet launch can start planning early. When fiber optic Internet reaches its full capabilities Houston iPhone app developers can take advantage of internet connections that will be up to 100 times faster than standard Internet connections. This will make it possible to run even the most data-rich applications seamlessly, from just about any connected device.