Webpass launching in downtown Seattle

A new gigabit internet service is debuting in downtown Seattle, as Google Fiber makes its first move into the area.

Webpass, a wireless internet provider that Google Fiber bought last year, will launch service at condo building Fifteen Twenty-One Second Avenue, near Pike Place Market.

The company will offer gigabit download and upload speeds for $60 a month to residents of the 40-story tower.

The service will be available to residents “soon,” the company said.

Less infrastructure-heavy

Webpass uses radio devices to connect with existing Ethernet wiring, making it less infrastructure-heavy than traditional Google Fiber, which brings fiber cables directly to homes.

Seattle will be the seventh city for Webpass, and the company said it plans to expand to 100 buildings in Seattle in the next year.

Gigabit service is getting more commonplace in Seattle, especially after Comcast announced it would bring gigabit download speeds (though not upload) to residential homes using existing cable connections.