Google to offer ultra-fast broadband in select markets

[Jos]

For some time now Google has been flirting with the idea of providing internet access to consumers. It played an important role in the 700MHz wireless spectrum bid back in 2008, was part of the aborted municipal Wi-Fi bid for San Francisco with Earthlink, and operates a free Wi-Fi network near its campus in Mountain View. It was also a major investor in WiMAX provider Clearwire.

Now they seem to be getting a little more serious. The company announced that it's going to offer ultra-fast fiber broadband service on a trial basis "in a small number of trial locations across the United States." They are aiming to offer 1Gbps speeds at competitive prices to at least 50,000 and potentially up to 500,000 people and basically see what happens when more developers get access to such speeds.

Google did not disclose locations, actual pricing or the time frame of when the high-speed broadband network is expected. However, keeping in line with its views on open access and net-neutrality, the company did say they will be opening the network up to other service providers and would not discriminate between different sorts of traffic carried by it.

This latest part might also serve as its strategy against any potential anti-trust concerns that may arise, you know, after Google "owns the pipes" through which you search the web, watch videos, make voice calls and access a ton other Google-owned products and services on a regular basis.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/37885-google-to-offer-ultra-fast-broadband-in-select-markets.html

 

[TomSEA]

Hope they come to Seattle. I'm sick of over-paying Comcast for their crap service.

 

[Guest]

Finally connection speeds worth mentioning, I hope they come to Texas, I would be willing to pay the competitive price(whatever that might be) for 1Gbps speed.

 

[Guest]

Sign me up! 1Gbps is what we have all dreamed of. No more lag-time with loading anything. Could you imagine?

If only... the government had followed up on its' policy they adapted but dismissed long ago... Fiber-ing the states by 2012; obviously not going to happen now.

 

[tonylukac]

Guess they were fibbers with fiber. Typical out of touch politicians.

 

[TorturedChaos]

as great as this sounds I live in Montana and I get the feeling that sadly I wont see anything like this for a while.

 

[Guest]

This means more much private data for Google.

 

[peas]

The telcos, ISPs and cable cos will cry like babies, claiming Google is unfairly competing in their market. Never mind that the telcos have gotten fat & lazy, their execs overpaid and unmotivated to offer good service and customer service. Sounds kinda like GM eh? The sad thing is their lobbyists will no doubt be able to convince some politicians that they're the unwitting victim of an evil Google plot. And we'll be stuck for another decade with laughable broadband service that lags behind most every other industrialized nation. Isn't it grand that corporations can now spend unlimited funds on political campaigns?

 

[namida12]

Vegas Valley might be a good test market

There are many users in the Vegas Valley awaiting a choice of providers.

The high speed connections are here, but the major ISP supplier meters the the flow for upscale dollars, and the new kid on the block CenturyLink is still in a testing mode...

JR