Google expands its fiberoptic Internet service to four Southeast cities

Google is bringing its ultrafast fiberoptic Internet service to four metro areas in the Southeast.

The company announced Tuesday that it will add gigabit-speed service over new fiber-optic cables in Nashville, Atlanta, and Raleigh-Durham and Charlotte in North Carolina. Google said five other metro areas remain in the running.

At speeds of more than 50 times the national broadband average, gigabit service can download an entire movie in less than 2 minutes.

Google started offering its groundbreaking fiber service in the two Kansas Citys and has been slowly rolling it out to residential customers across the area the past two years. The company recently began to solicit area customers for its first Internet service geared for businesses.

After the Kansas City rollout, Google added Provo, Utah, and Austin, Texas.

Analysts have said expansion to other markets gives Google and other firms added incentives to invest in applications that make use of faster Internet connections.

Prices for Google Fiber are comparable to or below what most households already pay. For example, in the two Kansas City markets, Google Fiber charges about $70 per month for just high-speed Internet service or $120 for an Internet and TV package.

This story was originally published January 27, 2015 at 1:22 PM with the headline "Google expands its fiberoptic Internet service to four Southeast cities."