Time Warner Cable bulks Kansas City staff to combat Google Fiber growth

It has been less than a month since Google launched its Fiber Internet and TV service in Kansas City, Kan., and new reports indicate Time Warner Cable is ramping up hiring in the city.

According to Kansas City Business Journal, Time Warner Cable is looking to bulk its local workforce by 9 percent. The 81 new jobs will fill sales, customer service, and other positions.

The Business Journal elaborated:

• The company’s economic impact in the Kansas City metro area tops $525 million annually and is expected to increase with the new positions, Time Warner Cable said in a release.
• The effort to ramp up the local headcount comes a few weeks after Google Fiber unveiled details for its ultra-fast Internet-based television service.
• Google recently announced new premium content partners, including Showtime.

Time Warner Cable, which is one of the nation’s leading cable providers, currently offers Showtime, as well as HBO, Starz, and more, as part of its premium channel packages. The real rivalry between Google and Time Warner Cable, however, is likely over the the one-gigabit per second Internet service.

According to Google’s Fiber pre-registration goal page, the Internet giant is quickly taking over neighborhoods one-by-one. This is likely because Google offers Kansas City residents the speedy service for free…for seven years. Folks simply need to pay a one-time $300 installation fee.

Time Warner Cable is clearly facing stiff competition, so it is not surprising the local office plans to add more customer service and sales positions to its roster. It certainly could use all the help it can get.

GigaOm revealed in early July that Time Warner Cable advertised for Kansas City residents to submit tips on Google’s development in the area. A circulated poster (below), which offered $50 for bits of information, suggested the cable company viewed Google as a real threat even before Fiber unveiled.