• by Laurie Sullivan , Staff Writer @lauriesullivan, September 11, 2015

Irvine and San Diego, California as well as Louisville, Kentucky could become the next three cities in which Google Fiber installs its high-speed Fiber connection service.

Google will work with local leaders in each city to determine whether they will get the high-speed Internet service, which can offer speeds up to one gigabit per second or 1000 Mbps -- much faster than the average Internet service speeds.

The metro areas are "growing tech hubs with entrepreneurial cultures," Jill Szuchmacher, director of Google Fiber Expansion, wrote in a blog post.

Growing tech hubs, maybe -- but I'm wondering what the installation of Google Fiber in a metropolitan city does to housing prices. Does the possibility of faster Internet speeds in closely knit neighborhoods with manicured lawns and sometimes gated communities like Irvine, where many residents pay association dues and only have a choice of four colors in which they can paint their home -- drive up the price of homes?

AT&T U-Verse and Verizon Fios are the dominant Internet providers, with Time Warner Cable coming in a close third.

Thursday's announcement marks Google Fiber's first consideration of two Southern California cities -- Irvine and San Diego.

Google will study factors that will affect construction in each city study, including housing density and the condition of existing infrastructure. Cities must provide information like utility maps, identify prospective spots for networks hubs that run to homes and equipment. They serve as distribution points and make certain Google Fiber can access the infrastructure if needed.

Perhaps a move to Irvine would prove too hasty. Reports suggest Verizon Wireless will begin field trials on its 5G network within the next 12 months. It originally pegged 2020 as the year 5G would roll out to consumers. With testing beginning earlier than expected, the ultra-high speed network could roll out to consumers within the next few years. Reports suggest Verizon's chief information and technology architect, said in an interview last week that 5G could go live sometime in 2017.