Network Management Guide for Google Fiber Internet Services

Last modified: September 22, 2022

Google Fiber is committed to providing an excellent user experience that supports any lawful product, service, or application that its customers choose to access through their Google Fiber Internet service.

To do so, Google Fiber engages in reasonable network management practices. Descriptions of these practices are provided below for informational purposes only and may be subject to change at any time.

Use of Google Fiber’s Internet services is governed by various service terms and conditions that are available here. The information provided below does not change the rights or obligations under those terms and conditions of either Google Fiber or the customers to Google Fiber’s services.

The Google Fiber Privacy Policy explains the collection, use, and sharing of information from Fiber users.

Congestion Management

In the unlikely event that users' aggregate demand exceeds the available capacity of the network and creates acute congestion, Google Fiber will employ various techniques to ensure that customers continue to have a positive experience. In times of acute congestion, Google Fiber Internet service bandwidth will be fairly allocated among customers without regard to the customers’ online activities or the protocols or applications that the customers are using. While acute congestion is occurring, customers will still be able to use the lawful content, services, and applications of their choice, but this fair sharing of bandwidth may result in slower download and upload speeds and slower response times from websites and Internet-based applications and services. Google Fiber will not engage in deep packet inspection (where the content of the data packet is inspected beyond its IP, TCP, and UDP headers) or drop specific types of end-user Internet traffic except as described herein to preserve the integrity of the network and protect against negative effects of Internet threats.

Google Fiber does not prevent or impede the use of any other product or service that its customers choose to access over their Google Fiber Internet service as long as the use of that product or service does not violate the service terms and conditions. Google Fiber also does not favor or inhibit any applications or classes of applications except as described herein.

Service Offering Characteristics

Google Fiber offers a selection of Internet access service offerings to meet customers’ budgetary and usage needs. Details about Google’s service offerings are available here.

The advertised speed of the customer’s chosen Google Fiber internet offering is the maximum speed expected to be achievable for that service offering. Several factors may affect the actual speed of Google Fiber’s service offerings at any particular point in time. These factors include, but are not limited to: the capability of the customer's device used to access Google Fiber; the capability of the business network between the customer's device and Google Fiber; the capability of websites or other internet services accessed by the customer; the connectivity and capacity of Content Delivery Networks (CDNs); and network congestion/other internet traffic.

Detailed summaries of Google Fiber’s Internet service performance, including information about speed and latency and optimizing your wireless network, can be found in the Help Center. Google Fiber also provides a speed test page for customers to test their connections themselves.

Google Fiber’s Internet services are priced on a flat-fee basis (plus taxes and government fees). Google Fiber does not charge customers a usage-based fee for Internet access service and does not employ volume-based data caps. More information about other fees is available in the Google Fiber Terms of Service and Fee Schedule.

Bandwidth is provided on a per-customer basis. The customer's bandwidth is shared by all connected devices within the customer's premises.

Network Security

Google Fiber engages in network management practices intended to address threats to its network and customers. Google Fiber reserves the right at any time to take action necessary to protect the integrity of its network and other parts of the Internet. This may include terminating or suspending service to customers who engage in activity that violates the Google Fiber Terms of Service, including but not limited to activity that threatens to undermine the integrity of Google Fiber’s network or services.

Google Fiber uses industry standard tools and generally accepted best practices and policies to prevent customers and other Internet users from experiencing the negative effects of Internet threats such as viruses, spam, denial of service attacks, and other unwanted or harmful online content and activities.

Please notify Google Fiber of any perceived network security or other Internet threats.

Attachment of Devices

Google Fiber’s customers may attach any device of their choice to the Google Fiber Internet service that is compatible with the Google Fiber network (i.e., supports IPv4 and/or IPv6 via Ethernet or Wi-Fi technologies), does not violate the Google Fiber Terms of Service, and does not cause harm to the network, other users, or the provision of Internet access service. The performance a user experiences may vary depending on the capability and configuration of devices being used on the service.

Special Information Regarding Wi-Fi Routers

Google Fiber may provide each of its customers a wireless router. Google Fiber highly recommends the use of encryption with Wi-Fi. Encryption will help prevent unauthorized users from accessing a customer's business network.

Google Fiber customers are responsible for activity that occurs over their connections, including unlawful use by third parties. While Wi-Fi encryption does not encrypt traffic that a customer sends over the internet, it does provide encryption for the Wi-Fi portion of the communications path between the customer’s wireless device and the customer’s wireless router. In the Help Center, Google Fiber provides step-by-step instructions for activating the encryption setting.

For information on accessing and configuring features in Google Fiber Wi-Fi enabled device(s), please visit the Help Center.

Information About Google Fiber Phone Service

Google Fiber’s internet and Phone service offerings share capacity on the connections to customers’ premises. To provide customers with a consistently high-quality service, we may use certain network management practices related to the Phone Services, including:

Limiting or suspending heavy, continuous usage that adversely impacts our network’s performance or hinders access to our network. For example, we may automatically terminate any call that exceeds two hours in duration.
Limiting or suspending usage that we reasonably suspect is unlawful, fraudulent, or does not comply with the Acceptable Use Policy.
Restricting access to any telephone number and/or certain categories of telephone numbers (e.g., 9XX numbers other than 911).
Not providing calling capability, including connections to certain geographic locations and special services numbers.

Contact Information

Google Fiber’s contact page provides ways for customers to reach us by phone, email or chat.