Ookla, a connectivity intelligence firm known for its Speedtest.net service, says that Google Fiber has increased the Internet speeds in the markets it enters through competition. According to its GFiber Case Study, the median download speeds across all wired internet service providers in Mesa, Arizona, grew by 50% a year after GFiber expanded in the area in March 2023.
Many users are enticed to switch to GFiber when it enters an area because of the superior speeds that it delivers. For example, Google started offering a $250/month 20 Gbps service in late 2023, which, although expensive, is one of the fastest services you can get. Because of this, other internet providers must increase the quality and reliability of their offerings, or else they risk losing market share.
Aside from delivering good performance in a market it has just entered. Ookla also showed that GFiber remained consistent even if it has already been in the market for several years. When comparing Google’s internet service with another competitor in Salt Lake City, Utah — a market that GFiber has been serving since 2016 — the results reveal that Google offers a 38% higher download speed, 1,200% better upload speed, and a 26% shorter latency.
These results weren’t commissioned by Google but rather formed as part of Ookla’s case study to show the data and insights that customers can get from using its service. However, the data provided by Speedtest.net would also help consumers determine which internet service provider offers the best solution in their area, allowing them to make the most of their money.
Nevertheless, we expect to see internet speeds improve in the coming months—with or without the presence of GFiber. That’s because the FCC announced in 1Q24 that the benchmark for broadband speeds now sits at 100 Mbps download and 2 Mbps upload. So, internet providers must be able to deliver these speeds at a minimum if they want to offer broadband service. There’s even a report that the agency is targeting a 1 Gbps download and 500 Mbps upload speed, although no timeline has been given for that yet.
This report shows the positive impact of a reliable, high-quality internet provider on the overall internet speeds of the market, highlighting the importance of competition. Because the new entrant, GFiber, is giving its customers superior speed, many users of other providers are enticed to switch. This forces them to step up their game, thus benefiting all consumers—whether subscribed to Google or not.