Google Fiber Is Officially Making Its Way To Portland 153
An anonymous reader writes This week the Portland City Council has approved a franchise agreement with Google to bring its fiber service to Portland. "As a result of the unanimous vote, Google will be subject to a five percent 'franchise fee' on its video revenues. It won't have to pay a three percent 'PEG' fee that Portland otherwise charges rival Comcast, but it will offer free Internet service for Portland residents for a $300, one-time fee. It'll also provide free Internet service to some to-be-determined nonprofits, in addition to providing a total of three free Wi-Fi networks in various parts of the city."
WHICH PORTLAND (Score:3, Informative)
Oregon, in case you're interested.
Re:Is it is? (Score:3, Informative)
Re:The "its", "it's" 'problem' (Score:2, Informative)
I'm a professional writer with over 20 years experience and a Masters in English, and even I still fuck that up from time to time (along with there/their/they're and you're/your). It's not that I don't know the difference; it's that my hands type faster than my brain. And no one has perfect proofreading. In fact, one of my best novellas has a basic subject/verb agreement mistake in it that made it through several layers of editors and ended up in print.
Re:$300 = free? (Score:5, Informative)
OK. They are really stretching the word "free" here. Free = $300 + greedily scooping up your data with this service now or in the future? No, that's far from free.
Compared to the anal probing from Comcast et. al.? Yeah, it's free.
Re:Government shakedown (Score:5, Informative)
Outside of Airline Tickets we have no laws requiring prices for goods and services to includes taxes and fees. Comcast's prices are always exclusive of taxes and fees. They simply tack on franchise fees to the bill as a pass through to the consumer.
What does cost real money is right of way leases. In most places the vast majority of utility poles are owned by the local power and phone providers. They demand a price per month per pole. That ads up when it's thousands or tens of thousands of utility poles. Going below ground is no cheaper. That involves right of way easements for both public and private property, in addition to repair of roads and sod. Assuming that the land holder even wants to deal with you.
Re: WHICH PORTLAND (Score:0, Informative)
Uh no, it's not, jackass. Pretty much anywhere on the eastern seaboard it would be inferred as Portland, Maine - a rather progressive little city of its own.