It’s easy to see Google Fiber’s burgeoning gigabit Internet service as a harbinger of a new era in the US. Certainly, with average speeds of 7.2Mbps, 1Gbps is in a completely different league. But Japan doesn’t waste any time in reminding the world just how much better they have it. Nuro, a service backed by Sony, has announced the availability of 2Gbps Internet down, with 1Gbps up. This would allow you to download pictures of cats in a fraction of time so small there’s likely no word for it.
And how much are the Japanese to pay for this otherworldly service? A price so high only the rich can afford? You know it’s cheap: “Nuro charges ¥4,980 (US$51) a month on a two-year contract, but there’s a steep ¥52,500 (US$535) installation fee that is currently waived for those who apply online.”
By David Ponce