Sonic.Net Offering 1 Gbps, Unlimited Phone for $40 in California

by Karl Bode 05:13PM Friday May 16 2014  DSL Reports

Sonic.net says the company is expanding their 1 Gbps fiber to the home service to the city of Brentwood, California. According to a company statement (pdf), Brentwood locals will be able to get 1 Gbps broadband and unlimited phone service for just $40 a month, the lowest price I've seen anywhere for that speed. Sonic tells me about 8,000 homes and businesses (largely new build areas and developments) will be able to sign up for the service within fifteen months courtesy of a public/private agreement struck between Sonic and the city of Brentwood.

Sonic also says that if 30% of homes subscribe in an area, they'll provide free connectivity to the local school. As with Google Fiber, Sonic says they'll use signups to guide where they'll first build in areas with existing in-ground conduit. They'll then build the 1 Gbps service out to additional, older areas if demand warrants.

"In Brentwood we will conduct a pre-signup survey for the neighborhoods in the older sections of the city, and based upon level of interest we will build," Sonic CEO Dane Jasper tells me. "We have committed to build at least one neighborhood, and will make that selection in the next four to six months based upon the level of interest."

Deployed areas have two choices: 1 Gbps service with unlimited phone for $40 a month, or 5Mbps broadband with no phone service that's free for five years. Jasper tells me there will be an activation fee for those latter user, that's not set yet, but should be in the $300 to $400 range.