Google Fiber: Here's What the Hype Is All About

— -- When Google announced today it is bringing its high-speed Internet service to a handful of cities in the southeastern United States, residents of the areas went into full-on celebration mode.

Google's gigabit Internet service is coming to the Atlanta, Charlotte, Nashville and Raleigh-Durham metro areas, covering a total of 18 cities.

While Google did not immediately say when the service would be ready for customers in the newly announced areas, it didn't stop people from salivating over the idea of Internet service that Google claims is up to 100 times faster than basic broadband.

Movies can be downloaded in as fast as two minutes, while Google said the high-speed service could help make advances in science and business.

With competitive prices, Google Fiber has also been able to entice some users to switch. The company charges $70 per month for Internet service and $120 for a television and Internet bundle in its the Kansas City market.

"New research from the Fiber to the Home Council shows gigabit networks are contributing billions of dollars in economic growth," Dennis Kish, vice president of Google Fiber, said in a blog post today, referring to the nonprofit group dedicated to bringing fiber-optic Internet to more customers.

"Communities across America are demanding more speed for their own homes and businesses, and we're going to keep doing our part to help," Kish added.

Google said it expects to have updates later this year at the possibility of bringing Fiber to more cities. Those in the running include Phoenix; Salt Lake City; San Jose, California; Portland, Oregon; and San Antonio.