You might have heard already, that the powers-that-be at Google are planning to launch a fiber-optic network of their own. With an intended initial roll out to at least 50,000 homes – and perhaps to as many as 500,000 – Google are aiming to deliver speeds of 1 gigabit-per-second; that’s over 20 times faster than residential fibre optic services currently offer in the US.
Here at BE Towers, we’ve been doing a little thinking about the impact of this announcement, and decided to share what it means to us.
Head of Operations, Tom Williams, thinks that “although it’s great to push boundaries and continue to demonstrate the value of high bandwidth services, monopolies are never good, and you’d have to question the true freedom of the web if one company became so dominant.”
Our Online Product Manager Alinna Chung, on the other hand, is unsure for different reasons. She says: “Faster broadband and challenging providers who have rested on their laurels for too long is awesome, but I don’t really like the idea that Google will know everything I do with my connection, even if I opt out of their normal services. If they have a point of disagreement with a specific governing institution, are they going to be able to completely cut me off from information if I depend on them for both my access and my source of information? I think Google means well, but ultimately, diversifying sources/dependencies means that people can maintain their freedom.”
That’s our opinion...but what do you think? We’re keen to hear from our members their opinions on topics like this that are shaping the future of broadband. So, what’s your view on the issue?
Are Google living up to their motto or not? Would you want Google to control not just their services, but the pipe they’re delivered through too? Is the speed the issue for you, or do you think there are more important things in this announcement?
Leave your comment below, and tell us your thoughts!
- Everyone @ BE
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18 comments:
I love the idea. If Google jump in and start stealing customers from everyone, other ISPs will be forced to upgrade their networks in order to retain customers. I can understand why in places such as the US it's hard (it's a massive country after all), but for the UK, which is quite small, surely it would be easier? Sure, it'll cost a small fortune, but I think it's worth it.
If it gets me a faster net connection (either by moving to GoogleISP or by forcing other ISPs to finally upgrade their networks as William Hook suggests) I'm all for it, can't wait till it comes over here!
I think that the main reason for doing this is simply to cut down on their bandwidth bill! I remember reading that Youtube costs several millions a DAY in bandwidth alone. If it gives other ISP's a kick up the a$$, good on them. I just can't beleive that BT's massive roll out of technology was for ADSL2+, which many ISPs (BE including) have been using for years - they should of done VDSL or other.
RE: Alinna Chung's comments - I don't think that Google will limit information, after all, look at what they are doing in China... Looks like they support a unrestricted internet.
Much more I could say, but probably wouldn't be read anyway!
wilhil: agreed re: bandwidth situation - Google is not a cheap operation to run from a data perspective.
As for my point, Google did enter the Chinese market agreeing to bend their beliefs in unrestricted internet by censoring search results, when it allowed them to enter a potentially lucrative market; it is only recently that they reversed their decision on censorig after a certain hacking incident. Perhaps I'm a bit paranoid, but I believe in diversifying resource dependencies if only to keep the power balance in check.
From what I have seen this is about Google seeing what happens when people are given unlimited internet access at obscenely fast bitrates. It doesn't appear to be a play at being a telco.
The problem with google is, they occasionally do have a disagreement about something.
I was using Google Checkout for our business, until they claimed our Invoice descriptions are vague and asked us to stop using it.
Imagine if you upset them - they take your connection with it.
On a brighter note, it's nice to see them pushing the boundaries.
http://current.com/items/91659341_the-google-toilet.htm
At the moment I'm with Sky on an up to 20Mb - what they actually provide is just under 1Mb.
A 1TB line from Google would be amazing, I'd even move out to the States just for that reason alone. However, I'd be deeply suspicious of the way they could track absolutely everything I do on the Net.
will the lines make twitter faster ? :0
Sci-Fi-Si I think you mean 1GB :-) Don't get ahead of yourself....
I think its about time someone stepped in and woke up the other ISP's, we are so far behind the times. When will BT let the copper wire just die and put in fibre and giving us better lines!
Yes its a big job but its never gonna get done if they just sit around talking about how much its gonna cost. Its annoys how some parts of the world and technology can move on so quickly, yet companies like BT that make billions a year cant update their networks.
I think this is how the people at Google must feel, they want to deliver better services to their customers but cant on current networks but rather than moan about it they have said fine we will fit our own fibre network.
My thoughts are when are BE going to start upgrading us to fibre? and good on Google I hope others follow!
Great if you ask me, they are not really doing anything new and exotic, The Netherlands/Holland already is giving out 100mpbs lines and are increasing it at the same time as google announced this news
I'll believe it when I see it. If this does happen it will be for a small number of people in the heart of London with the rest of us waiting till we are old and grey.
The reason BT keep putting off upgrading is because it doesn't make any business sense to do so. They have a virtual monopoly on the last mile and the cost any upgrade would be huge.
Combine that with the fact that on any given street there would probably only be a couple of houses that would actually want a fibre connection and BT don't even have a good way to recover costs.
The only way we will get widespread fiber is if the Government step in and fund a good portion of it. Trouble is they will screw it up by insisting that every far flung house in Middle of Nowhere Vil is able to get fibre too massivly increasing the code.
Sorry guys, I think that's a bit of FUD you're trying to propagate. Google are trying out faster broadband to see how people's online behaviour changes when access speed isn't an issue. It's a worthy experiment, and to confuse that with issues about privacy and monopolistic practices is unreasonable.
I somehow feel comfortable in selling myself to Google rather than to anyone else.., The sheer ethics these people have neatly surpasses any mission and vision kept by other people. Their idea of free broadband to everyone which is ad based truly impressed me, and now fibre optics is mind blowing.. way to go google
Wicked definitely interested - Would rather stay with Be but dont like this new idea of bonding
Google aren't doing this in the UK only in the USA and it won't be wide spread only for a few selected people and maybe seeing how it goes. Its a shame you would think we would be one of the best connected countries out there but we are quite near the bottom of the table at internet speeds and something really does need to be done. Finally BT are getting round to getting a new fibre network put in but they are only planning to run it at 20MBps because the last mile will still be copper and its just sad to hear that. The Gov has helped out getting broadband to the massives and now that it has pretty much acheived that I think its time they start investing in getting our connection up-to-date with many other countries its not like I am asking them to roll out the whole country in a month I am just saying get started with it now and be seen doing something with our money!
I think it's really cool. I'd love to be a Google customer with their fibre broadband instead of being with BT in a ADSL area with all of their throttling!
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