Laser-quick Internet is already arriving in Seattle soon, and now, our northern neighbors across the border can say the same.
A new Vancouver, B.C.-based startup is promising gigabit Internet that’s 60 times the average Canadian connection speed for just $45 to $65 per month, reports CBC.
Computer networking guru Eric Kunkhe and his company, OneGigabit, just launched last week and already have a condo developer and real estate companies signing up for the service.
The $45-to-$65 price point is cheaper than that of both Google Fiber in the U.S., which runs at about $70 per month, and Gigabit Squared in Seattle, which will cost you $80 per month.
But OneGigabit, which is backed by two private investors and plans to target apartments, office buildings and condominiums, still has to build out its infrastructure. The same goes for Gigabit Squared, which will first use a combination of public and private fiber optic cables already available in Seattle with plans to build more cabling as demand increases.
That’s where Spectrum Networks, a Seattle-based wholesale provider of Internet service to businesses, sees problems. We caught up with Spectrum co-founder John van Oppen last month and he explained why he’s wary of these new fiber companies.
“They are announcing pricing with no idea about the construction costs,” he said of Gigabit Squared. “They have never built any fiber infrastructure anywhere, ever, in the U.S. Until you know what it costs to build something like this out, it’s an awfully bold commitment to make.”
But Kunkhe told CBC that he’s looking to save construction costs by both running fiber through buildings during construction phases — a much cheaper option — or by installing rooftop microwave transmitters. He also noted how the cost of fiber itself dipped recently.
Previously on GeekWire: Blazing fast broadband on the cheap: Pricing unveiled for Seattle’s gigabit Internet
