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Google Fiber gets a new boss: A former Qualcomm executive

The former Qualcomm executive brings a wealth of experience, but Google reportedly wants his operational expertise in order to sign up even more cities to the high-speed Internet service.
Written by Zack Whittaker, Contributor
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Image: CNET/CBS Interactive

Probably already America's favorite internet provider, Google Fiber just got a new boss: a former Qualcomm executive with the knowledge and experience to get the high-speed Internet service to the rest of the country.

Dennis Kish, a former executive at chipmaker Qualcomm, is now vice president of Google Fiber. He replaces Milo Medin, who will stay on to advise Kish and other Google executives.

The news was first reported by The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday.

Kish's new role will utilize the operational expertise he gained at Qualcomm, and will lead Google Fiber into its next phase of development — notably getting the gigabit high-speed Internet service to many more cities around the U.S.

The service, which offers browsing and streaming speeds of up to 100 times faster than traditional broadband connections, is one of the hottest projects going at Google today.

Although other companies, like Verizon, Time Warner Cable, and Comcast are all developing their own faster networking speeds, Google is seen as a breath of fresh air, albeit still a newcomer, compared to what the traditional Internet providers offer. 

In the past few weeks alone, a community kabal has come down like a ton of bricks on the well-established Internet providers for their business practices, customer service (or lack of), and the near-impossible task of leaving as a customer.

Google Fiber first and foremost, however, offers the next-generation speeds to U.S. cities that they've never experienced before. Currently only available in Kansas City, and Provo, Utah, it will soon be expanding to the Texan tech powerhouse of Austin.

Kish's will also see the mass expansion to as many as 34 new cities around the U.S. in the coming months and years. Whatever Google has in mind for its fiber project, remains on the most part unclear. Is it a standalone business ready to spin-off? Is now the time to push Google Fiber into the next major roll-out? And is Google really ready to take on the behemothic giants of the existing Internet provider lobby?

By appointing Kish, Google will find those answers likely sooner rather than later. 

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