Jeff Chiu / AP
In this Wednesday, May 15, 2013, photo, Larry Page, Google’s co-founder and chief executive, speaks during the keynote presentation at Google I/O 2013 in San Francisco. Google is planning to offer high-speed Internet service in 34 more cities scattered across eight states in an ambitious expansion aimed at providing formidable competition to cable and telecommunication providers.
Tuesday, March 24, 2015 | 5:01 p.m.
SALT LAKE CITY — Salt Lake City will soon join a handful of U.S. cities in offering high-speed internet service through Google Fiber.
Mayor Ralph Becker made the announcement on Tuesday at The Leonardo museum.
Google Fiber spokesman Devin Baer said the company plans to start construction for the network after several months of planning with city officials. He said they don't yet have a definitive pricing structure, but expect to offer service similar to what currently exists in another Utah city, Provo.
Google offers three levels of service to customers who pay the $30 activation fee in Provo, one of the first cities selected for the project. Residents there can chose a free 5 megabit connection, a high-speed 1 gigabit connection for $70 per months or the high speed connection plus TV service for $120 per month.
Google Fiber will not provide the number of households connected to its service, but said Baer said things in Provo have been "really great." Earlier this year, the company announced that it will soon introduce its service for small businesses in Provo, which is about 45 miles south of Salt Lake City.
Baer said he hopes to bring the small business option to Salt Lake City as well. Google chose Salt Lake City because it has a "thriving tech community" and is a natural extension from Provo, he said.
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