And Now, Google the ISP

By Jake • February 10th, 2010 • 13 Comments

So, Google has been busy announcing products this week. Lost in the Buzz news was this bit that Google is planning to build its own high-speed fiber network.

I <3 the PHD as the qualified engineer in the sewer.

Mmm, fiber.

Their goals are:

We’re planning to build and test ultra high-speed broadband networks in a small number of trial locations across the United States. We’ll deliver Internet speeds more than 100 times faster than what most Americans have access to today with 1 gigabit per second, fiber-to-the-home connections. We plan to offer service at a competitive price to at least 50,000 and potentially up to 500,000 people.Our goal is to experiment with new ways to help make Internet access better and faster for everyone. Here are some specific things that we have in mind:

  • Next generation apps: We want to see what developers and users can do with ultra high-speeds, whether it’s creating new bandwidth-intensive “killer apps” and services, or other uses we can’t yet imagine.
  • New deployment techniques: We’ll test new ways to build fiber networks, and to help inform and support deployments elsewhere, we’ll share key lessons learned with the world.
  • Openness and choice: We’ll operate an “open access” network, giving users the choice of multiple service providers. And consistent with our past advocacy, we’ll manage our network in an open, non-discriminatory and transparent way.

Sounds pretty sweet, but as will all Google products, lingering privacy concerns, well, linger.

Check out the video and rally your state and/or local officials to bring the Google pipe to your neighborhood.

OK, am I the only one who remembers the April Fools’ 2007 and the Google TiSP? Seriously, how close to true is that joke now? I’ll bet someone floated (puntastic) that idea in a meeting.

Posted via email from Thoughts by Jake


Possibly Related Posts

  • http://twitter.com/Teo_Hernandez Teo Hernandez

    Agree sounds too sweet to be true… But I am in… Good Bye Comcast :-)

  • http://theappslab.com Jake

    Want fiber. Do not want Verizon upselling me TV and phone over the same line. So, if I have no internet, TV or phone, what am I supposed to do?

  • Steve

    mmmmm

    http://www.googleandmoney.com

    is that site true?

  • http://theappslab.com Jake

    No idea, really, but isn't everything on the internet true? Like that's really your email address :)

  • http://dbasrus.blogspot.com/ Noons

    If only they'd bring that to Australia…
    Sick and tired of waiting for the local telco to finish the fibre to every door, at least in the major cities.
    Would switch on the spot!

  • http://theappslab.com Jake

    I'm with you. Verizon has been rolling out FiOS since the mid-00s, and it feels like an eternity. Even now, it's available in my metro area, but I don't think I can get it b/c I live in an area covered by a different telco.

    Plus, they're bundling TV, phone and internet, which I don't like. One rule that never fails: you can never have internet service that's too fast.

  • http://bexhuff.com bex

    The money is almost always in the DISTRIBUTION of resources, not the CREATION of resources. This is true for essentials like food and water, as well as modern things like books and software. Sure, Apple and Microsoft make money… but telecommunication companies like AT&T and Comcast make boatloads more.

    Google avoided being content “creators” for two good reasons… One: if their content was high on the google result page, people would suspect some kind of cheating. Two: content creation just isn't that lucrative, when compared with helping people find relevant content.

    Becoming an ISP to compete with Comcast is just about the best idea. Both for them — more cash — and for consumers — more competition.

  • http://theappslab.com Jake

    Somehow, I think they'd be money in the creation of water :)

    Great point. I, for one, welcome our Google overlords. People complain about what they know, but all the other vendors we use, especially ISPs, know more. They just keep quiet about it.

    BTW, I hear they have super fast, free wi-fi in The Dalles, OR, where they have a huge datacenter. The wi-fi is part of the deal they struck a few years ago. Next time I get out there, I'm dying to see *exactly* how fast it really is.

  • http://theappslab.com Jake

    Somehow, I think they'd be money in the creation of water :)

    Great point. I, for one, welcome our Google overlords. People complain about what they know, but all the other vendors we use, especially ISPs, know more. They just keep quiet about it.

    BTW, I hear they have super fast, free wi-fi in The Dalles, OR, where they have a huge datacenter. The wi-fi is part of the deal they struck a few years ago. Next time I get out there, I'm dying to see *exactly* how fast it really is.