Google has announced that they are planning to launch an experimental fiber-optic broadband network to make a better and faster internet access to at least 50,000 and potentially as many as 500,000 US homes. The said network will deliver speeds up to 1 gigabit per second at a “competitive price”.

Why Google is doing this? Google wrote:

• Next generation apps: We want to see what developers and users can do with ultra high-speeds, whether it’s creating new bandwidth-intensive “killer apps” and services, or other uses we can’t yet imagine.
• New deployment techniques: We’ll test new ways to build fiber networks, and to help inform and support deployments elsewhere, we’ll share key lessons learned with the world.
• Openness and choice: We’ll operate an “open access” network, giving users the choice of multiple service providers. And consistent with our past advocacy, we’ll manage our network in an open, non-discriminatory and transparent way.

Video: Google’s experimental fiber network