The nine metro areas where those cities are located include: 
 
 Atlanta, Georgia 
 
 Charlotte, North Carolina 
 
 Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina 
 
 Nashville, Tennessee 
 
 Phoenix, Arizona 
 
 Portland, Oregon 
 
 Salt Lake City, Utah 
 
 San Antonio, Texas 
 
 San Jose, California 
 
 Google's hometown of Mountain View, California is also holding talks about Fiber. That relatively small footprint caused plenty of skepticism when Comcast cited Google as a legitimate competitor and a reason its merger with Time Warner Cable should be approved.  Google just announced that it's invited nine metro areas across the US to explore "what it would take" to bring its Google Fiber gigabit internet service to more locations. Meanwhile, Google has cut a deal to build a similar network in Austin, Texas. Google also bought an existing fiber-to-the-home system in Provo, Utah, and has begun delivering its service there. It doesnt say whether Google Fiber service will be sold in all 34 cities, or necessarily any. Were aiming to provide updates by the end of the year about which cities will be getting Google Fiber, Medin said on the Google Fiber blog. Were going to work closely with each citys leaders on a joint planning process that will not only map out a Google Fiber network in detail but also assess what unique local construction challenges we might face. 
 
 The company said local geography, existing infrastructure and housing density will play into its expansion decisions. "For example, they’ll provide us with maps of existing conduit, water, gas and electricity lines so that we can plan where to place fiber," Google says.
– Google Fiber: It's not just in Kansas anymore. Google has announced 34 cities in nine metro areas—including San Jose, Atlanta, Nashville, Portland, Salt Lake City, and Phoenix—as possible destinations to expand its fiber-optic network, offering lightning-fast Internet and cable. "People are hungrier than ever for faster Internet, and as a result, cities across America are making speed a priority," the company says, per the Verge. But while Google notes it "genuinely would like to build in all of these cities," it could choose all, none, or some; teams are first "hitting the road" and "conducting detailed studies" on the local topography and infrastructure, Ars Technica reports. Already at work in Kansas City and Provo, Utah, and with plans for Austin, Texas, and Shawnee, Kansas, Google Fiber's gigabit speeds will likely worry the competition. Plus, a telecommunications analyst tells the Kansas City Star that Cox Communications, Time Warner Cable, and Comcast (the latter two of which plan to merge) dominate all nine markets. But a larger customer base could give Google a leg up on negotiations for its TV lineup, which is still without some popular channels, the Star notes. The chosen cities should be announced at the end of the year. For the full list of those being considered, click here.