Skip to main content

The context you need, when you need it

When news breaks, you need to understand what actually matters — and what to do about it. At Vox, our mission to help you make sense of the world has never been more vital. But we can’t do it on our own.

We rely on readers like you to fund our journalism. Will you support our work and become a Vox Member today?

Join now

Google Fiber is headed to Dallas to step up its big-city game

In major cities, the economics of Alphabet’s unit will be put to the test.

Warner Bros.

Here comes the next city Google Fiber has in its sights: Dallas, Texas.

The Alphabet unit said so today, noting, as it has with other potential markets, that it is “exploring” entering the city — maybe dotting the i’s with city officials or weighing the costs or both.

Dallas is significant because it’s a large metropolis. Until announcing “explorations” with Chicago and Los Angeles, Google Fiber has stuck mostly to mid-sized cities where the economics of its fiber networks works best and its cable rivals are less fortified. (Unfamiliar with Fiber? May I recommend our lengthy look.)

Also noteworthy: Jill Szuchmacher, Fiber’s expansion chief, lauded Dallas’ “budding tech sector” — a sign that Fiber may push to sign up more businesses, not just homes, as it is trying to do in its five existing cities.

AT&T, one of Google Fiber’s chief competitors, has offered its high-speed internet service in Dallas for two years and has pledged to double its footprint in the metro area over the next year.

This article originally appeared on Recode.net.

More in Technology

Podcasts
Are humanoid robots all hype?Are humanoid robots all hype?
Podcast
Podcasts

AI is making them better — but they’re not going to be doing your chores anytime soon.

By Avishay Artsy and Sean Rameswaram
Future Perfect
The old tech that could help stop the next airborne pandemicThe old tech that could help stop the next airborne pandemic
Future Perfect

Glycol vapors, explained.

By Shayna Korol
Future Perfect
Elon Musk could lose his case against OpenAI — and still get what he wantsElon Musk could lose his case against OpenAI — and still get what he wants
Future Perfect

It’s not about who wins. It’s about the dirty laundry you air along the way.

By Sara Herschander
Life
Why banning kids from AI isn’t the answerWhy banning kids from AI isn’t the answer
Life

What kids really need in the age of artificial intelligence.

By Anna North
Culture
Anthropic owes authors $1.5B for pirating work — but the claims process is a Kafkaesque messAnthropic owes authors $1.5B for pirating work — but the claims process is a Kafkaesque mess
Culture

“Your AI monster ate all our work. Now you’re trying to pay us off with this piece of garbage that doesn’t work.”

By Constance Grady
Future Perfect
Some deaf children are hearing again because of a new gene therapySome deaf children are hearing again because of a new gene therapy
Future Perfect

A medical field that almost died is quietly fixing one disease at a time.

By Bryan Walsh