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Google begins building out 1Gbps Internet to two U.S. cities
As promised, Google is beginning to build out Google Fiber in two cities: Kansas City, Kansas and Kansas City, Missouri. When completed, the new city-wide networks will tether citizens to a fiber-optic backbone capable of delivering 1Gbps Internet to tens of thousands -- if not hundreds of thousands -- of people.
Google says it has measured utility poles, studied maps, surveyed neighborhoods and eaten way too much barbecue -- but the company has since completed its planning phase and is now stringing thousands of miles of fiber-optic cabling along telephone poles.
There is no word how much a Google Fiber subscription will run, but the company claims it will be offered at a "competitive price" to as many as 500,000 people.
At 1Gbps, Google Fiber is unlike any other Internet plan offered to residential customers in the United States. It will be 10 to 20 times faster than competing fiber-based services, like Verizon's FiOS, and more than 100 times faster than the typical household connection most Americans enjoy.
Kansas City -- both of them -- were hand-picked by Google based on a number of criteria, including a plethora of personal appeals they received from over a thousand cities nationwide. To catch the search giant's attention, cities performed a number of gimmicky publicity stunts like promising to tattoo their mayor and even renaming the cities themselves to Google. In one instance, the company even returned the favor and temporarily rebranded itself "Topeka" for April Fools' Day.
The U.S. is often criticized for lagging behind other countries when it comes to broadband proliferation, speed and price. In September, we reported that the U.S. was ranked 26th by Pando Networks in terms of broadband speed.
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User Comments (26)
Post a comment|
Arris
on February 7, 2012 5:42 PM |
Build out? |
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Raswan
on February 7, 2012 6:11 PM |
Arris said: Build out? Having trouble recognizing English? "Build out" is a perfectly acceptable, grammatically correct phrase. |
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Guest
on February 7, 2012 6:25 PM |
"Build out" is American for "Build", because it's not good enough to describe the activity they also need to know where it takes place. |
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Guest
on February 7, 2012 7:17 PM |
How will their pricing be competitive when no one else offers that kind of speed in the U.S.? |
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Guest
on February 7, 2012 7:37 PM |
But Verizon is talking about 1 Terabit. >.> www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sen6Zvmm-SA |
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ikesmasher
on February 7, 2012 9:21 PM |
Google has enough money to put these cables everywhere, lol... |
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altecmayank
on February 8, 2012 12:20 AM |
Why is Google getting into the internet provider business? |
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Guest
on February 8, 2012 12:47 AM |
Because its business and it will be cheaper than cable or other rip-off companies. Customers will knock on their door in droves... you'll see... |
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Rick
on February 8, 2012 2:41 AM |
altecmayank said: Why is Google getting into the internet provider business? Google often does things to harbor good will, so that's probably part of it. Also, by throwing unreasonable amounts of money and engineers at mass-scale fiber deployment, Google may be able to improve such future roll outs. Those improvements may encourage other companies to finally deploy their own last-mile fiber networks. As people begin using faster Internet connections, theoretically, they can get more stuff done (ie. visit more websites and/or use websites they couldn't before). Theoretically, Google profits from this because that means they get to show you more ads. I'm not so sure about the pay off, but it's something to tell investors. Google said:
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. |
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Guest
on February 8, 2012 2:56 AM |
I'm so excited! I hope they build it out throughout the US!! |
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tw0rld
on February 8, 2012 5:25 AM |
The money you must have to do this is incredible. I don't see how their price can be competitive. |
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Arris
on February 8, 2012 6:00 AM |
Having trouble recognizing English? "Build out" is a perfectly acceptable, grammatically correct phrase. Just an unusual use of it, never seen it before in my life. In the UK we usually use the term "roll out", which I guess could be just as strange if you had never seen it used before. Having no trouble recognising English, thanks for your concern.
"Build out" is American for "Build", because it's not good enough to describe the activity they also need to know where it takes place.
Thanks Guest. |
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tonylukac
on February 8, 2012 7:09 AM |
Make it for the masses. Just like thief self driving car. Where is it? |
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prismatics
on February 8, 2012 9:16 AM |
altecmayank said: Why is Google getting into the internet provider business? They aren't actually going to be an ISP. As Rick pointed out, they said the following: * 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.
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gamerex
on February 8, 2012 9:23 AM |
One.. one GIGABIT per second? That translates to a download rate of 128 megabyte per second! (Assuming the servers on the other end support it, of course)..(And even hard drives aren't that fast)..(Unless I did my math wrong somewhere) |
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3DCGMODELER
on February 8, 2012 11:30 AM |
Oh thats part of the fiber optics cable servers to accomodate the fast fiber connections. |
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herpaderp
on February 8, 2012 1:01 PM |
gamerex said: 128 megabyte per second... 125MB/s would be the theoretical max, but due to overhead (network + system), realistically, it'd be quite a bit less than that. |
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Guest
on February 8, 2012 1:11 PM |
Build out. |
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Guest
on February 8, 2012 1:46 PM |
And here I was happy with my 15Mbit VDSL2+ ....hum |
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Guest
on February 8, 2012 2:42 PM |
Why not start in the silicon valley where their home is? What the heck is in Kansas and Missouri? Do they even have computers? I live in the silicon valley and we're always getting the short end of the stick! |
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Rasta211
on February 8, 2012 9:55 PM |
I wonder what the bandwidth cap and throttling will be like. |
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spydercanopus
on February 9, 2012 10:27 AM |
Will move for Gbps |
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TJGeezer
on February 10, 2012 11:02 AM |
Guest said: "Build out" is American for "Build", because it's not good enough to describe the activity they also need to know where it takes place. Right! Or... could it describe a process? Like, at a guess, first you build a central facility capable of handling the traffic and then, working outward, you hook up areas of the city, the region, the continent, the world? Nah. That'd make too much sense and has no implied witless criticism of American technical usage. |
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Brock Kane
on February 10, 2012 5:39 PM |
This will hopefully put some pressure on the biggest rip off broadband company - Comcrap! I hope Google brings Comcast to their knees! Comcast wants $200 a month for 100meg speed in Michigan! What an "effing" joke! |
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DAOWAce
on February 15, 2012 5:51 AM |
To catch the search giant's attention, cities performed a number of gimmicky publicity stunts like promising to tattoo their mayor and even renaming the cities themselves to Google. In one instance, the company even returned the favor and temporarily rebranded itself "Topeka" for April Fools' Day. Because this relates in any way to the need for incredibly high speed residential internet connections? Wish they tested it around here, I'd actually use the bandwidth for worthwhile things.. if it's upload. It is also upload, right? |
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