Google pushes development of 10Gbps Internet speeds

Not content with the rapid speeds offered by the Google Fiber network, the Web giant is developing technology that will boost data transfer speeds to 10 gigabits per second.

During the Goldman Sachs Technology and Internet conference on Wednesday, Google executive and Chief Financial Officer Patrick Pichette said that the tech giant aims to boost network speed to ten times as fast as Google Fiber, according to a USA Today report. At the moment, Google Fiber -- offered in Kansas City and slated for eventual expansion across the U.S. -- provides data speeds of roughly 1Gbps, whereas the average U.S. connection speed is only 7.2Mbps.

Pichette said that the research is part of Google's long-term "obsession with speed;" a next-generation Internet that allows for stable connections supporting data-intensive applications -- which could, in turn, boost adoption of software as a service. While few consumers would need 1Gbps connections at home -- let alone 10Gbps -- network resources are already being swallowed by software, Web-based gaming, cloud computing and the streaming of audio and video.

"That's where the world is going. It's going to happen," Pichette commented. It may happen over a decade, but "why wouldn't we make it available in three years? That's what we're working on. There's no need to wait," he noted.

When asked if Google Fiber is slated for release in additional cities beyond Austin, Texas, the executive said "stay tuned."

Last year, U.K. researchers said they were working on a similar project, and were able to achieve data speeds of 10Gbps through "Li-Fi" -- the use of light-emitting diodes with flicker adjustments to send out digital information as well as produce light within displays.