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Google Fiber Is Now a Fiber and Wireless ISP (arstechnica.com)
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: Google Fiber today said it has completed its acquisition of Webpass, a wireless Internet service provider that will figure prominently into its plans for deployment of high-speed Internet. But the Alphabet division is not giving up on fiber, saying it will use both wireless and fiber networks to compete against cable companies and telcos. Google Fiber revealed its plan to buy Webpass in June, and the company said in an announcement today that Webpass "is now officially part of the Google Fiber family." The Webpass site has been updated to call the service "Webpass from Google Fiber." Webpass uses point-to-point wireless technology that's useful for connecting businesses and multi-unit residential buildings in densely populated areas. It hasn't been financially feasible for Webpass to bring its high-speed network to single-family homes, so it can't fully replace Google Fiber's wired Internet service. "[O]ur strategy going forward will be a hybrid approach with wireless playing an integral part," Google Fiber President Dennis Kish wrote. "Going forward, Webpass will continue to grow and scale their business with point-to-point wireless technology, including expanding into new cities. And for our part, Google Fiber will continue to build out our portfolio of wireless and fiber technologies, to bring super fast Internet to more people, faster." Existing Webpass customers will see no change to their service, he wrote. Webpass's residential service offers speeds of up to 1Gbps for $60 a month in San Francisco, San Diego, Miami, Chicago, and Boston. There's no word yet on where Webpass will deploy next.
I'm happy for those in the few locations that this is relevant, but they're not a major player in the USA yet. I would love to use their services, but I'm stuck with Comcast until someone brings in some competition.
How long until they decide to halt their fiber rollout to concentrate on the more profitable wireless service?
All the cool kids are doing it.
Minimum threshold fixed. Thanks!
Shared bandwidth over thousands of customers.
"During peak hours (weekday evenings), the service will slow to a CRAWL," wrote one Webpass customer who reviewed the service on Yelp a couple of months ago. "I'm talking about 1Mbps, making everything just unusable. This is coming from plugging in my laptop directly into the wall jack as suggested by Webpass."
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I called out Google as eventually becoming an ISP and media provider, making your Internet provider and cable provider unneeded. One service to rule them all.
They will also become a cell provider - only primarily using WiFi. Google Fi is a step in that direction. I was surprised when they bought Motorola Mobile and then sold them, I expected them to manufacture handsets in house. I imagine they took some intellectual property and then sold it off, opting instead for other companies to compete for their business in the Nexus line.
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Sorry, but Webpass stinks, particularly in multi-unit installations. No way can/do they deliver the bandwidth that they promise, particularly in multi-unit housing.
OK, not really STINKS, but "meh", except when it isn't working for a few days.
That said, they do deliver fiber to some buildings - the ones on which they site their antennas. They are probably OK in those buildings. But of course, then they are/were no different than the original Google Fiber concept.
A friend who owns apartment buildings put in WebPass and gives his tenants free Internet. I made him under-promise, so his rental listings only claim 50mbps. He is happy, his tenants are happy, as he only has about 40 units, and his tenants aren't expecting the 500mbps that they can't deliver to every one of them at peak times. They get free basic Internet, and as many of them then won't want/need cable, it saves some wear/tear on move-ins/move-outs with no need for the Cable Guy.
They will double-up transceivers in a larger installation if they get complaints.