Google Fiber is forcing ISPs to suck less

Good news for Charlotte, NC! Google, the search engine you often go to during the day, has sufficiently scared your existing internet service enough into giving your faster speeds at no extra cost. It’s the latest trend-setting move by the search giant, which aims to upend the rural internet-providing monopolies that are often the sole providers in one area. And not by offering a better overall service. Just announcing its way into the market is enough. Time Warner Cable announced last week it would launch its next-generation “Maxx” television and broadband service in the North Carolina city, hot on the heels of rivals Google Fiber and AT&T’s Gigapower service arriving in town. That means hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses will now have internet speeds up to “six times faster” — though, the catch is that speeds will depend entirely on the plan.