Time Warner Cable customers in Charlotte, N.C., are getting an unexpected boost in Internet speeds this summer, the Internet Service Provider announced last week.
At first, TWC’s move looks like an unprompted upgrade. But a closer inspection reveals it’s likely a response to competition from Google, which confirmed earlier this year its ultra-fast Google Fiber Internet service is coming to Charlotte in the near future.
Google Fiber has already hit three U.S. cities (Kansas City, Mo.; Provo, Utah; Austin, Texas) and is scheduled to launch in a handful more, sending existing ISPs scrambling to match Google’s high-speed offerings and affordable prices. In early April, Comcast Atlanta unveiled plans for fiber Internet service reportedly twice as fast as Google’s after the search giant announced its plans to enter to the Georgia capital. Months before, AT&T slashed its existing fiber package prices to match Google Fiber’s prices in Kansas City, Mo., where Google Fiber first launched in 2012.
All this newfound competition in high-speed broadband is surely appreciated by Internet customers, who often aren’t very happy with their ISPs. Above, have a look at where Google Fiber is headed next — and whether you might be getting some faster, cheaper Internet just because Google is coming to town.
The 10 Most Ambitious Google Projects
Google Driverless Car
The Google Self-Driving Car has been in the works since 2005 after a team of engineers won a grant from the U.S. Department of Defense to design an autonomous car. The project, which aims to reduce traffic accidents, has made headway in recent years as states passed laws permitting self-driving cars. Google plans a commercial release between 2017 and 2020.David Paul Morris—Bloomberg/Getty ImagesGoogle has been testing balloons which sail into the stratosphere and beam Internet down to Earth. Jon Shenk—APGoogle's smart contact lenses.Google/APGoogle Lively
Google Lively was a web-based virtual community space where users could design avatars, chat with one another and personalize their online hangout space. The project was discontinued after a six-month stint in 2008 after limited success.Google/APGoogle Earth
Google's virtual map of the Earth allows users to tour the earth with 3-D satellite images. The project, which dates back to 2004, has already found significant applications in disaster relief.Google/APProject Ara
Google's build-your-own-smartphone project allows users to customize their handsets to their own preferences, with the possibility of eliminating electronic waste by encouraging users to add hardware updates on their own terms. The team is working towards a limited market pilot in 2015.Bryan Bedder—Getty Images for Engadget ExpandDisease Detecting Pill
Google unveiled its plans to disease-detecting ingestible pill in October, a project that'll let patients access their real-time health data to encourage preventative care. The pill will contain nanoparticles that can bind to certain cells and chemicals, with the possibility of detecting diseases like cancer in early stages.Getty ImagesFlying Wind Turbines
The flying windmill is the project of Makani Power, a wind turbine developer acquired by Google in 2013. The tethered airborne turbines will harness wind energy for the goal of producing low-cost, renewable energyAndrea Dunlap—Makani Power/APGoogle+
Google's social networking platform launched in 2011, the most successful service after several flops at designing a Facebook competitor, like the now-retired Google Buzz. Today, Google+ boasts over half a billion monthly active users.Stephen Lam—ReutersGoogle Books
Google Books dates back to 2004, when Google partnered with libraries and universities to plan to digitize millions of volumes over the next several years. The project aims to make searching books as easy as searching the web.Getty Images
