After Austin’s campaign for Google’s ultra-high-speed Internet failed three years ago, Google announced that the city will be getting Google Fiber in 2014.

Google Fiber is so fast that a person can download a high definition movie in about five minutes. Now that may sound just like a gimmick, but this gigabit Internet opens all types of opportunities for everyone in Austin.

At the announcement, many of the speakers imagined that with this Internet, patients could talk to their doctors in real time over the web, people could stream movies from a festival happening downtown. It could make Austin the “live music capital of the web.” 

These ideas are very ambitious, and they would most likely be decades away without Google Fiber.

As was the case in Kansas City, people will want to come and start new businesses in Austin because of Google Fiber. This is good for everyone in Austin because that means citizens will have more services and jobs available.

With more jobs, there will be more people, which means more money flowing into Austin. With more money in Austin, the city will be able to improve the infrastructure.

While the majority of people will benefit from Google Fiber, competing Internet service providers  like AT&T and Time Warner will be hurt because of Google Fiber, but this is good for consumers.

AT&T is planning to bring gigabit Internet to Austin soon, but it is unknown if their prices will be similar to the price Google charged in Kansas City. Pricing has yet to be decided for Google Fiber in Austin. 

Pricing in Kansas City is $120 for TV and gigabit Internet, $70 for gigabit Internet, and free Internet at average speeds with a $300 construction fee.

While ISPs may be impacted, Google Fiber will make these companies become more competitive, driving costs down for consumers.

Gov. Rick Perry believes that with Google Fiber, the next Google or Apple will be born and bred here in Texas—he is right. 

Austin is the new Silicon Valley, but with Google Fiber Austin will surpass California’s Silicon Valley. When the next great company is born in Austin, it will cement Austin as the best place for technology.

Perry cannot take credit for Google Fiber coming to Austin because that was an effort by the city of Austin. However, Perry can take credit for the possible boom that the economy will have because of Google. 

If the economy continues at its current pace, Perry will have a good platform for a reelection bid in 2014 and a presidential run in 2016.

Google Fiber is going to change the way Austin works, plays, and lives. It will change everything in Austin.

Google Fiber is the next revolution in technology.