CenturyLink announced Tuesday that some Columbia and Jefferson City businesses and homes are now able to tap into the company�s new ultra-fast broadband service that can deliver speeds of up to 1 gigabit per second, or about 100 times faster than the national average broadband speed, according to industry studies.

Columbia and Jefferson City were among 16 cities across the United States chosen for an initial launch of the new fiber service, according to a news release from CenturyLink, and the service will be made available to other customers throughout the year.

Greg Baker, a spokesman for CenturyLink, said Columbia was chosen for the service because of the existing broadband infrastructure and because city leaders were �cooperative and eager� to partner with the company for the service.

Baker said that as more devices that depend on the Internet are being made available � such as home automation technologies � access to the new service would help customers to �future-proof� their homes. �As the future brings more demand for broadband, it�s easier for those services to be incorporated and utilized if the broadband is already there,� he said.

City Manager Mike Matthes said in an interview that he is repeatedly approached by residents about the speed of Internet in the city and asked what the city can do to improve it.

�The community is currently starving for more bandwidth,� Matthes said.

Baker declined to say how many homes and businesses would be eligible for the new service, which is available for $151.95 per month as a standalone service or $79.95 as part of a bundle with other CenturyLink services. To determine whether your home or business is eligible for the service, go to www.centurylink.com/fiber and enter the address.