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Google Fiber Pondering 9 New Metro Areas
New submitter GreyWanderingRogue writes "Google is looking to expand beyond the three current cities using Google Fiber. They're currently still in the discussion stages, but they've invited 34 cities in 9 major metropolitan areas to talk about deployment. They'll need to study 'topography (e.g. hills, flood zones), housing density, and the condition of local infrastructure' in each of the cities, so it will be interesting to see how many make it to completion. Check the map to see if you're one of the lucky few. The Atlanta, Portland and Raleigh-Durham areas each have a cluster of cities being considered. Not in one of these cities? It might be a while yet..."
then go one more day with Comcast. Jacksonville, Fl makes me a sad puppy. Looks like I'm waiting even longer for something good to come along.
...that they consider my area. The two consumer-grade broadband solutions kind of suck even though we were a pilot city for the original cablemodem spec, but oh, I would so love to have fiber to the NID, even if I'd have to buy my own single-mode gbic to make it happen...
Do not look into laser with remaining eye.
Google bought the tax payer funded network in Provo, Utah for $1.
http://transmission.xmission.com/2014/02/19/google-fiber-in-salt-lake-city
A friend of mine has had Google Fiber in Kansas City for several months. She still keeps here DSL as backup because Google Fiber goes down frequently, sometimes several times in one day.
Why not run fiber in the entire valley instead of just Scottsdale and Tempe? The north and west sides of Phoenix has a lot of families that could use 1 Gbs or 10 Gbs Internet.
coworkers & I were just talking about need to proactively appoint an independent prosecutor w/expedited subpoena/investigative power to find/expose and financial ties between comcast/at&t and any politicians who will inevitably try to block/obstruct this!
Kansas Citian here. I've never had problems with Google Fiber going down. I've had instances where my wi-fi seemed to momentarily drop, but that happened occasionally with my old router too and it hasn't ever lasted more than a few seconds. The only prolonged outage that I've noticed was an hour or so when (ironically) I couldn't access google.com, but the rest of the internet still worked fine.
"No matter how much we suck, we still don't ComcastTimeWarner suck. Yet."
Competition is needed. Meanwhile, for all the people who are pissed off about Comcast, there is a solution.
Buy a controlling share in the company.
Before you scoff, consider all the companies that would benefit from Comcast not being an obstacle (Google, Netflix, Apple, Charter, Twitter, plus about 100,000 startups). For about $67 billion at the current share price, Comcast could be under new ownership.
$67 billion is chickenshit money up against the assets and revenue of all the parties with a horse in this race.
Vote out the board, fire the management, vote in a new board, hire new management, and turn Comcast into a defender of net neutrality instead of a problem.
That's how capitalism works. You know what the best part is? Ain't a fucking thing Comcast can do about it. The company is publicly traded.
It's a great place to live, but good luck finding tech jobs there. And San Antonio is not exactly my definition of "densely populated". Sure it's like #9 or #10 in US city population, but it's like #29 or so in metro population because there isn't much of the metro area that consists of other incorporated cities. (Maybe it'll give Fry's a reason to finally build a store there, ha ha.)
Now if they can just get started on lighting up Austin, I'd be happy.
And I think RTP is a good choice for a GF city.
#naabhaprzrag, #sverubfr-000, #agi-fcbafberq, negvpyr[pynff*=' negvpyr-ary-'] { qvfcynl: abar !vzcbegnag; }
IIRC, their answer to that is "we'll figure out what to do about it later". So right now they don't support that, but they know they will need to eventually. I don't think they'll mind people doing low-impact non-commercial server stuff, but that wasn't your question.
#naabhaprzrag, #sverubfr-000, #agi-fcbafberq, negvpyr[pynff*=' negvpyr-ary-'] { qvfcynl: abar !vzcbegnag; }
What pisses me off is that Google goes to areas that are already well serviced by other vendors, and taking FOREVER to roll out. At this rate, they'll manage 10% coverage in the US by the turn of the next century.
I've only had Google Fiber 3 weeks, but so far it's been solid. Maybe a 2-second hang here and there, but otherwise fine.
Slow down, cowboy! It has been 4 hours since you last posted. You must wait another few hours.
Trust an advertising company to give you unfiltered internet access?
Do it trust a company with a history of supporting open source software, and open standards, that lest me see the data the collected when i am using their services and edit and or delete it, more than I trust a cable company or cell service provider? yes I do trust Google more.
Is Google perfect? No they have made mistakes but they try to not be evil more often then not, and that is far more than I can say about most other companies in their line(s) of business.
---Saying gnome 3 is better than windows 8 not so much a compliment as it is damning with light praise.
The condition of local infrastructure
Translation: If you've already basically laid most of the fiber for us, we'll buy in and finish it up.
SJW's don't eliminate discrimination. They just expropriate it for themselves.
I can't wait for them to keep rolling out everywhere! I want competition with the telecommunication oligopolies who keep playing games with the bill to squeek out more money. If they're not silently raising rates, they start billing you more often than once a month. I can't wait for Google Fiber. I'm excited.
God spoke to me
I've had precisely zero problems with Comcast.
With Comcast.
Anecdotal evidence about ISPs is of the same value as anecdotal evidence about hard drive manufacturers.
In my experience, the problems with Comcast have hardly ever been about poor connection quality; they've always been about deliberate sabotage (e.g. poisoning DNS, throttling Netflix, encrypting local cable channels, etc.) or hostile customer service (imposing sneaky BS fees, making customers go through Hell to get a CableCard instead of a set-top box, etc.)
"[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz
this is 2014
put everything on wifi with a few dozen of your neighbors and then blame the ISP for every hiccup
i used to have xbox live disconnect when playing single player. put everything on cat5 and most of my problems magically vanished.
Wifi is like the old Layer 1 networks. everyone is broadcasting all their traffic into the air around you and your router and devices are trying to filter it out. that's why it keeps disconnecting
http://www.wearefeelinglucky.c...
"Don't teach a man to fish, feed yourself. He's a grown man. Fishing's not that hard." - Ron Swanson
It's good to see some real competition, but it's disappointing that most of the locations chosen are simply further upgrading areas that already have a large tech presence. In some ways, it almost feels like it's further growing the gap between technologically advanced cities and the rest of the country.
I wonder if the existence of miles of fiber just waiting in San Antonio is part of the reason they're considering it.
Buy a controlling share in the company.
There are tools that corporations use [1] [2] to prevent such efforts. Often it's to protect them from a hostile takeover, but the same tools could be used to prevent a populist uprising as well.
The corporatocracy will not allow us (say even if you did get a kickstarter or other such crowd funded initiative) to dominate Comcast. If this initiative were started, Comcast would have no shortage of tools to put it down.
Majority fan/employee owned ventures are the exception, not the norm, for this reason (amongst others - coordinating large groups of diverse interests is not easy).
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S...
[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W...
Make sure everyone's vote counts: Verified Voting
Crap, we're not on the list. Somehow, even the biggest city in the US can't get a decent fiber roll-out. That's how you know the "population density" arguments are BS.
apparently not. There is a real reason why those that can afford it and have to live in Texas, will choose Austin.
That is also why Google picked Austin over a place like San Ant.
I prefer the "u" in honour as it seems to be missing these days.
If Google really wanted to prove out fiber, they would look to a less densely populated area. Consider what putting fiber successfully and profitably in a more rural area would do: pretty much kill the "It's too expensive" arguments for pretty much anywhere. Google needs to be put their weight and minds in trying to solve the last mile problem for all of America, not just the easy parts.
I don't see things in black and white; I see the gray. Heck, I actually see in color, which makes things more difficult
Well, in that case I'm glad that I have Time Warner at 113 with no dropouts or problems. Thanks for the competition, Google Fiber!
Peter predicted that you would "deliberately forget" creation 2000 years ago...
A Co-op ISP looks to be the best bet, but I think it would be killed by the Telecom Cartel.
Cartel is when corporations scheme to price fix, and to equally screw the citizens.
Monopoly is when one company owns it all and crushes any competition.
Cartel can be far more subtle, and it is the current paradigm here.
What is wild is that the US taxpayer paid $300 billion for a broadband upgrade,
and the Telco's took the money and run.
Whole story here:
http://www.newnetworks.com/bro...
Don't expect a fair and free trade experience from pirates, thieves, and looters.
google "32 trillion offshore needs IRS attention"
The tech jobs in GA posted on Slashdot are heavily based in Alpharetta, and yet it's not in the list of cities they are considering. (And getting them to extend it down the 316 corridor is also wishful thinking, but Athens sure could use some options.)
Occasionally living proof of the Ballmer peak.
Trust an advertising company to give you unfiltered internet access?
Unfiltered? Sure.
Untracked and without extra targeted ads? No.
If I have been able to see further than others, it is because I bought a pair of binoculars.
Yeah seen same issues with Wifi, its not perfect.
My friend had problems with latency in real games, and
tried his cat5 and it all went away.
google "32 trillion offshore needs IRS attention"
You've obviously not had to deal with Comcast tech support.
I cannot think of a worse master.
You could try some of the horrible satellite internet, but it beats dial up to be sure.
Other option would be a community funded fiber line and then a wireless ISP
for the town there.
Some rural towns have down their own Internet Co-ops, if your small enough
the Tecos won't sabotage you too bad.
http://www.ncic.net/
http://www.micemn.net/
google "32 trillion offshore needs IRS attention"
All this exurban sprawl to Alpharetta needs to stop. The only thing that has been accomplished is that people living elsewhere in the metro area are screwed because all the infrastructure is designed to facilitate a commute towards downtown, while now the center of mass for jobs is near (or outside) the Perimeter. It is absurd that people can live right next to downtown, yet are forced to suffer through an hour commute anyway. Anything that shifts development back inside the Perimeter is a good thing!
"[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz
Well most cable ISPs also provide advertising networks, so it's not a big jump to move to another one.
Google isn't actually an advertising company though, they just get revenue from advertising. Similarly Comcast is a cable company that also gets revenue from advertising.
No.
Do you always here socialized and then compare it to WCS?
Idiot.
Not that I am surprised. You sig shows very clearly that you can't actually read. Or are so god damn stupid you can't actual understand facts.
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on
You would be saddened if you became fully aware of the percentage of voting adults in the US that could say those things and not be a troll.
Why is it so hard to only have politicians for a few years, then have them go away?
"Metro?" Ugh.
I've spent about a decade living in both San Antonio and Austin. If you're a nerd, Austin is better by far. San Antonio has lots to offer. It's a bigger city with a more diverse culture. It has a road system that wasn't designed by stoned hippies who hate sprawl. However, if you're a nerd, Austin is where you find jobs and friends with common interests.
apparently not. There is a real reason why those that can afford it and have to live in Texas, will choose Austin.
Only if you're a nerd or hippie with money - otherwise you'd choose Dallas or Houston if you've got cash.
The fact that Google is looking at San Antonio before considering Dallas/Houston for their fiber service should tell you something.
...and now it makes a lot of sense for Google to come here. http://therivardreport.com/san... Please, please, please come to our town and take advantage of this existing dark fiber! In the press release they even have a blurb from our Mayor about making sure all elementary schools have gigabit connections within the next 6 years.
If only "common" sense was actually that common...
No they have made mistakes but they try to not be evil more often then not, and that is far more than I can say about most other companies in their line(s) of business.
They might not be so evil at present. But what happens years down the road when they decide to be evil? They'll have this enormous treasure trove of data, and widespread control of information infrastructure. You know it's inevitable, right? They will not have this anti-evil philosophy forever...and in the meantime they chum the water...we eat happily...they begin pulling the net in around us.
They might not be so evil at present. But what happens years down the road when they decide to be evil? They'll have this enormous treasure trove of data, and widespread control of information infrastructure.
The cable and phone companies have had more data for over a decade, and they are already evil. Moving from a known evil to a potential evil is s good thing.
You know it's inevitable, right?
It is not inevitable, for two reasons.
First, companies become evil when the people making decisions find it in their interest to be evil. As long as Google is insanely profitable and requires user trust to stay profitable, they have no reason to be evil.
Second, the two founders together have more than half of the voting shares. They can say "no" to anything other shareholders say. They can fire any manager, without any other shareholder's consent. They are already too rich to care about any extra money evil actions might make. They are identified with Google, and any evil Google does reflects on them personally. Google will never do anything they think is evil, and they have a track record of good judgment.
They will not have this anti-evil philosophy forever...and in the meantime they chum the water...we eat happily...they begin pulling the net in around us.
The phone company has a log of your cell phone's location at all times. They are already willing to do anything for a buck. Why not rant about them? If you whine about what the innocent might be guilty of in some imagery future, while tolerating the actions of the truly guilty, you are part of the problem.
It's where comcast makes all of their money. No content to create/buy/manage, just gravy.
Is it just my observation, or are there way too many stupid people in the world?
comcast and att already ARE evil, so if it's a choice over who could be evil in the future and who IS evil now, i'll take a chance with the future...
Comcast TW merger is a disaster in the making.
OTOH, Google does not control that much video content (utube not withstanding), nor does TW cable. So, it would be a much better fit with Google than with Comcast.
In addition, Google will no doubt have net neutrality over their lines.
I prefer the "u" in honour as it seems to be missing these days.
They might not be so evil at present. But what happens years down the road when they decide to be evil?
no corporation is ever evil, they are just profit seeking. google is profitable if they have a lot of users, so it's in their best interest to keep them happy. doing things people don't like w/ their data doesn't make them happy. more than most other companies that possess your personal data, google has a motive to not abuse it.
also, have you considered what happens if your health insurance company becomes evil? your mortgage provider? your auto insurance company? you have a lot to worry about.
This is total bullshit. I've had gigabit Google Fiber since 17 Sep 2013, today was the first time I had to reset the Network box...
Sometimes when I do a speed test the up or down speed might drop down as low as 200Mbps
How do you ever survive?
Absolutely. You ignore that the taxes per person to do such a thing are WAY WAY lower than what we pay now for internet access.
Way fucking lower. Holy shit, like, fucking, incredibly lower.
Did i mention this would be cheaper?
way.
What don't these people get about planning and budgets? Atlanta? It probably costs 50x more to bring equipment in, bury fiber, close roads, house the workers, etc in a huge city than it does in a small to medium sized city. And what are inner city residents known for? Not having money! Tearing the business district costs EVEN MORE money so despite them having the deep pockets, it's STILL not cost effective. They need to find a 100,000 resident city, tear that up instead, and get middle class citizens and medium-sized businesses on fiber. That's where the real money is.
Google may or may not consider this a business model, but what it does do is put the DSL & cable internet providers on notice that there may be another option. Since the decline of competition and the retirement of "sharing" that last mile, the only two options have been cable or phone company for internet access. 14 years ago, PacBell was laying fiber to San Diego neighborhoods, that project got canned when AT&T swallowed PacBell. Maybe Google could pick up those strands for $2.00. I'll chip in.
apparently not. There is a real reason why those that can afford it and have to live in Texas, will choose Austin.
Only if you're a nerd or hippie with money - otherwise you'd choose Dallas or Houston if you've got cash.
The fact that Google is looking at San Antonio before considering Dallas/Houston for their fiber service should tell you something.
Yes they don't want to fight Comcast just yet.
profit seeking over customer service in a customer service industry is evil, so yes companies are evil.
http colon backslash backslash www dot youtube dot com forward slash watch?v=AmD_8cBqhW0 best part is when he says tapping the esc key for 20 minutes while saying ganesha is great.
I guess that's why the wealthy elite exclusively send their kids to government schools, rely on police protection from rabid fans, and live on "government cheese", while the "poor, huddled masses" are scrimping so they can save enough to afford private tutors/ivy league colleges, bodyguard services, and 5-star chefs to cater in every meal?
Here's a hint: the elites have never needed "good" government--they can afford to pay twice (once for the public version, albeit not much with tax evasion, and once for the quality services). They want "good enough" -- as in, just good enough that the proles won't revolt or pursue alternatives.
Do you like Japanese imports?
Now that Google has made their fiber expansion plans public, I expect to see laws drafted (that may or may not pass) in every one of those cities blocking Google fiber in order to protect the existing monopoly/cartel.
If you want to get fiber into a city, you have to sneak it through without the local telco or cableco knowing, otherwise they will spend every last penny (of their customers money) on lawyers and "campaign donations", in order to prevent new competition
I have yet to hear of a single fiber rollout (other than fios) that hasn't been challenged in court at least once
do they do cities like Kansas City, Provo, Raleigh, and others instead of ones like Seattle?