Google Seeks to Develop Parallel Internet?

KhanReaper writes "As reported on On the Media and Business 2.0, Google appears to be purchasing dark (unused) fiber optic cable across the United States with the intention of building its own alternative parallel internet that would presumably be called GoogleNet. Possessing such a thing could allow Google to offer internet access in the form of free wifi or other means and create a powerful captive marketing audience which Google could monopolize. Outside of these marketing opportunities, such a development in infrastructure could help reduce Google's long-term content delivery costs were it to take on more bandwidth-intensive activities in the future."

Dark Fiber

[AndyST]

afaik, dark fiber refers to a rented optical fiber without any service attached to it, the customer must deal with light transmitters and receivers, as opposed to a fiber that is live with some IP/tunnel/data/whatever service. Dark fiber does not mean "unused".

Re:Well...

[ciroknight]

Makes sense along side all of the other specualation of Google's wireless wantings and Google's recent stock selloff. Along side Google Talk's VoIP play, Google is the single corporation responisble for connecting everyone in America for the second time around.

I wouldn't worry about Google being evil this time around, though. Those anti-trust laws that broke up Bell are still right in place, and Google apparently doesn't want to go it alone (trying to bring in other VoIP services).

Re:Google, meet Motorola

[RevRigel]

Iridium satellites are not in geosynchronous orbit. If they were, you wouldn't get 'Iridium flares' in the morning and evening when the sun glints off the solar panels of satellites in the constellation. The system was so named because it was originally supposed to have as many satellites as there are protons/electrons in an atom of Iridium, with the constellation resembling the orbits of those electrons. In reality, they launched a few fewer, so it should be named after a different element, but they stuck with Iridium. Iridium largely failed because the implementation was crap. It was analog/voice only, $5000 phones, $8/minute, etc. Now that it's been bought up, people have figured out ways to use Iridium for data telemetry at cheaper rates, and it's actually seeing some use.

Re:Well...

[jcnnghm]

As I recall Bank of America owns a ton of dark fiber that they use to trasmit private data because the fiber was a lot cheaper then renting capacity. That doesn't mean that Bank of America is going to be opening BOANET and giving away free Internet access tomorrow.

For all those who enjoyed that post...

[Anonymous Coward]

...might I suggest this classic short story [mtroyal.ca] on which it was probably based.

Re:Well...

[jcnnghm]

Should have included this in my post.

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,1813919,00.as p [pcmag.com]

12-city dark fiber network

They leased the dark fiber, they didn't buy it, but from where I am sitting that is fairly similiar. The fiber was used to replace their OC-3 connections from data-center to data-center, apparently at a great cost reduction.

This is almost assuredly what Google is attempting.

Re:Well... (Not Internet just Connectivity)

[Stitch_Surfs]

I don't know where people got the idea that Google was creating InetDos...Om Malik's article talks about dark fiber and free WiFi hotspots, not internet backbone. He even goes so far as to mention the fact that Google has been working with Feeva, a company that provides free Wi-Fi hotspots and suggests that Google build a large broadband network. He never says replace the Internet.

"What if Google (GOOG) wanted to give Wi-Fi access to everyone in America? And what if it had technology capable of targeting advertising to a user's precise location? The gatekeeper of the world's information could become one of the globe's biggest Internet providers and one of its most powerful ad sellers, basically supplanting telecoms in one fell swoop." -Om Malik

If you think about it, replacing the Internet makes no sense for Google. Not only are they not an infrastructure company they aren't set up to service this kind of business. Have you ever tried to get customer service from Google?

Besides, Google's model works better the more open an environment is. More pages = more space in which to display their advertising inventory.

It seems to me that Google's real play is voice...advertising subsidized voice.

Think about it; you just signed up for GoogleTalk via SMS. Google now has your cellular number and knows everything you search for.

What would you say if they offered to subsidize your cellular calls in exchange for LISTENING to brief targeted messages served to your phone prior to placing a call? If the ads were relevant and the exchange was fair; say 10 minutes calling per ad served don't you think a few million minutes of calls would be delivered this way?

I wrote more about this here: http://www.mobile-weblog.com/50226711/images/googl e_phonebook.jpg [mobile-weblog.com]

Certainly it is obvious that Google has recognized the significance of the small screen to the future of search. They understand the value of connecting an advertiser to an interested customer and vice versa. They've created maps and mapping tools to help you locate what you want. It only makes sense that they take themselves off the PC and into the MOBILE in the most pervasive way the consumer that will allow. You watch; turn by turn directions over your cell phone to the location of your choice, all courtesy of GoogleNav is not far away.

Pfft...

[CaptKeen]

Pfft. I work for a company that provides dark fiber, and there is literally tons of use for it. We drop fairly large cables in the ground (432/864), use a few strands ourselves, and lease the rest out. People use it for everything from fast-e over media converts on up to mass OC192 DWDM stuff. Some are carriers, some are normal companies. Dark fiber is usually alot cheaper in the long run that purchasing point to point or switched circuits from a carrier. Hell, Google's been doing this for a while, to connect some of their clusters, and to run their own circuits to ISPs. Theres nothing really new about any of this - companies have been doing this sort of thing for years.

It is time to review

[toolz]

Google Future History [broom.org]

Re:Free internet.

[ralmin]

Alternate thrusts between her vagina and anus. Her vaginal juices facilitate easier entry into her anus.

Obligatory Warning: Don't do this. Cross-contamination is nasty. Always use a fresh condom when switching from anal to vaginal. The other way around is not so important.