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Google Internet Service Provider?
Xirik
Member UncommonPosts: 440
Google launching 1Gbps ISP service to select markets at
'competitive prices'
By Nilay Patel posted Feb 10th 2010 11:54AM
Google's always tiptoed around directly providing internet access to consumers with things like free airport WiFi and the free WiFi network it runs in Mountain View, but today the company announced that it's getting in the game for real with the launch of a fiber-based ISP service that'll offer 1Gbps speeds at "competitive prices" to select markets. The idea is to provide next-gen access to between 50,000 and 500,000 people and basically see what happens -- and, as you'd expect, the new network will be a poster child for Google's pro-net-neutrality efforts. Sounds good to us, but we've all got a ways to go before Eric Schmidt comes over with the lightpipe -- Google's just now asking for "interested communities" to apply, and launch markets will be announced later this year. Video after the break.
Here is a video of a Google Rep talking about it
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wusklcNKDZc&feature=player_embedded
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This sounds awesome! sadly it sounds like only Americans can "nominate" there communities. 
"You have some serious mental issues you may need to seek some help for. There are others who post things, but do not post them in the way you do. Out of every person who posts crazy shit in this forum, you have some of the craziest and scariest" -FarReach
Comments
an area a few miles south of where I live (Palm Bay, FL) are one of the places of interest for the test bed for this service. Hopefully they can win this bid.
"If you want a picture of the future, imagine a robot foot stomping on a human face -- forever."
Really great information thanks for share it.
In this information competetive analysis on price. Really great internet services provider.
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Seen it already. I envy anyone lucky to be in an area where they offer it. Initial offering is supposed to be 50k to 500K homes.
Really a tiny drop in the bucket, so a very small chance you'll get it, but jump at the offer if you get it.
What gamer doesn't want speeds like that?
Probably they will start close to their hubs, where they have big server farms, or big cities with high density.
At first I thought it was odd for Google to get into hardwired internet connections instead say, creating an upstart wireless ISP for 3G/4G akin to ClearWire, but it looks like they have a much greater initiative than just being an ISP..they're trying to take over the internets!
Nah really, there's what, two telecoms that've been able to build FIOS networks and compete? AT&T and Verizon. Both have some pretty drastic differences too that requires a technician come to your home and dig up your yard to swap from one service to another. Last I checked it was Verizon that ran fiber to your home, while AT&T only ran as far as a hub, and then copper from there. And maybe have the two mixed up.
It seems what Google wants to do is kill those discrepancies, and most important of all kill the idea of proprietary networks that belongs to any one telecom period.
The "open access" thing sounds good. The internet grew on "open access" when everything was subject to common carriage phone lines that allowed everyone from local to national ISPs to offer competitive service.
How we connect to the internet nowadays though is becoming increasingly...AT&T and Verizon, and that's it. Wireless or wired. At least the best ways to connect.
If Google goes through with this and succeed, and builds a network that they'll manage while allowing any ISP to use the network to sell service, that'd be great news for the future of the internet. Naturally the next step would be for Google to accomplish the same thing with wireless towers.