Google Fiber Targets Chicago and Los Angeles (blogspot.com) 37
An anonymous reader writes: Google announced that they have invited Chicago and Los Angeles to investigate whether the company's Fiber internet service would work there. If it works out, they would be the biggest cities to incorporate Google Fiber yet. Chicago is home to 2.7 million people, and Los Angeles has almost 4 million. Google hastens to add that this is an exploratory process, and they might not be able to bring Fiber to these cities for a number of reasons, but they're hopeful that expansion can proceed.
Chicago? (Score:2)
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I've been known to use the term Chi-Town. OK, I was born in Houston, - but I moved to Chicago when I was 5, and lived in the city for 40 years and in its' suburbs for the 15 years since. Also, I've known other, actually native, Chicagoans to use the term, occasionally. Wouldn't be used in a serious conversation, though.
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Re: Chicago? (Score:2)
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In Chitown - piggyback off People's Gas (Score:3, Informative)
The public natural gas utility is on a multibillion pipeline replacement/upgrade project (converting from low to medium pressure in the process) for all the gas mains in the city.
The irony is if your gas meter is in the house they'll run a new line to an outside relocation of the meter.
This leaves the bare pipe running inside with no gas in it; perfect for a clean fiber run to a safe, dry location.
Seems like a perfect opportunity to lay new fiber. Google should work with them to give customers a twofer.
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Asking for permission to compete? (Score:2)
" invited Chicago and Los Angeles to investigate whether the company's Fiber internet service would work there"
Wow are we talking about the US or Cuba here? Why not just go ahead and compete in the market and stop asking permission?
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If you can just declare the People's Patriotic Fiber Plan and move in, then you don't have to do any of that.
(That said, given the widespread existence of utility ea
Re: Asking for permission to compete? (Score:4, Insightful)
> but being bled year after year by an incumbent monopolist is worse
Only for the consumers. It's great for the rent-seekers and rent-grantors. But Google has little choice but to ask the rent-grantors. They're not stupid either - they're going to create a scene. Either they expand or they prove a point for their legislative efforts. Win-win. Google is doing social good here.
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Re: Asking for permission to compete? (Score:2)
Most US places have a fascistic utility regime. Perhaps you're not from around here.
International efforts, please Google (Score:3)
I'd like to see Google Fiber coming to the UK - give BT Openreach some much-needed competition.
Sure, there are plenty of ISPs in this country - but they are all entirely dependent on BT Openreach's fixed-line infrastructure, telephone exchange network, and street cabinets.
End the monopoly!
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Virgin were deploying cable internet here years before BT spun off their infrastructure into what is now known as Openreach, let alone began their FTTC rollout
However, they've still not got cable anywhere near me, so they're not an option.
BT Openreach upgraded my telephone exchange to allow FTTC connections more than 2 years ago. However, they only got around to enabling my cabinet back in June. I can therefore get a FTTC internet connection from any number of providers - but my estimated maximum download
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It's a shame BT blocked NEC's plan for a national fibre network. They were offering to take the money that the government set aside for full broadband coverage and build a high speed fibre-to-the-home network. It would be open to all ISPs, and run by a non-profit.
Instead BT told their friends in the government that they wanted the money and would spend it on rural broadband, honest. Of course they didn't and we are now stuck with their crappy FTTC network that is being rolled out as slowly as possible. Why
LA/Chi Don't hold your breath (Score:2)
I am in Austin and am still waiting for google. They tend to deploy in the easy spots (poles) and skip the areas with underground to avoid trenching. Its all about PR, I've been very disappointed with the rollout here. I don't even remember how many years ago it was with great fanfare city council announced the partnership with google. I'm still waiting for the luvfest to generate a fiber connection at my house in what is central austin.
Re: LA/Chi Don't hold your breath (Score:2)
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According to wikipedia, it was april 2013, so will be 3 years this april, and I still have not received any sort of indication my area is any time soon. Color me a skeptic, but 3 years in the tech world is vaporware.
Re: LA/Chi Don't hold your breath (Score:3)
Gigabit to the home in Lincoln, Neb. (Score:3)
Tsk Tsk...
Lincoln, Neb., is getting gigabit fiber [getfiberlincoln.com] to every home and business in the next four years. It's a wet dream for anyone in the tech world. No install fees, no modem rentals, GUARANTEED MINIMUM of 100 mbit, no throttling, etc. It'll provide phone and TV as well. I've read the entire franchise agreement and it's a very good arrangement for the city. Interestingly enough, it's largely possible because back in the 1970s, a public works guy [journalstar.com] had the brilliant idea to install conduit to all the city's traffic signals. So there's more than 300 miles of conduit already installed and leasable.
A local company, Nelnet, [nelnet.com] bought a western Nebraska company, Allo Communications [allocommunications.com] apparently because the top Nelnet guy couldn't get fiber to his home very easily. So he figured, heck, I'll just buy the whole company and get fiber to the whole city.