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Comments on news posted 2012-11-13 12:26:37: Startups eager for inexpensive, faster bandwidth are flocking to Kansas City, where Google Fiber is beginning installs on their ultra-fast symmetrical 1 Gbps fiber broadband service. ..

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IowaCowboy
Lost in the Supermarket
Premium Member
join:2010-10-16
Springfield, MA

IowaCowboy

Premium Member

The next Bell System

Maybe if we give Google the perks and incentives that AT&T/Bell System was given, maybe they'll expand it to a national monopoly on broadband (fiber).

Maybe Google can buy out Verizon FiOS since Verizon seems very interested in exiting the wireline business and they don't seem to want to expand FiOS despite the fact it sells like hot cakes in areas that FiOS has been deployed.

Right now, Google is our only hope at getting FTTP in Springfield, MA since Verizon does not seem interested in bring FiOS here. Hopefully Google fiber will be a success and they'll expand into other areas.
xenophon
join:2007-09-17

xenophon

Member

Startup village posting live install - 1PM CST today

Is this as geeky as a smartphone unboxing or what...

»www.kcstartupvillage.org ··· estream/

JasonOD
@comcast.net

JasonOD

Anon

Unsustainable

Not saying google won't prop it up indefinitely, but the financials of offering something for free (5mbps) or 1gbps for $70 even while whoring every scrap of data to generate ad revenue doesn't add up without massive company subsidies. And in this case, the help of Kansas City's anti-competitive easement deals.

Look for big price increases soon, or look for this to be the first and last google fiber 'project'.
Kommie2 (banned)
join:2003-05-13
united state

2 edits

Kommie2 (banned)

Member

Try Wallingford, CT next!

Suggestion to the Google Folks:

Try Wallingford,CT next that Town owns its electrical poles/lines too. Much easier to get on the poles then in private poles.
TexasRebel
join:2011-05-29
Edgewood, TX

1 recommendation

TexasRebel

Member

why?

are they rolling it out in runned down neighborhoods?? That enclosed photo on the article shows an installation van parked in a dump of a neighborhood. Who's fronting the bill?? Government Welfare checks??
brianiscool
join:2000-08-16
Tampa, FL

brianiscool

Member

Great

If I had a job in Kansas I would move now for that 1Gb Fiber. Makes my 155Mbps connection at home seem outdated.

Gone
Premium Member
join:2011-01-24
Fort Erie, ON

Gone to TexasRebel

Premium Member

to TexasRebel

Re: why?

I suppose there aren't many homes built before 1960 in Texas, eh?
xenophon
join:2007-09-17

1 edit

xenophon to TexasRebel

Member

to TexasRebel
The city of KC, KS (KCK) is the lowest income city of the metro area (though in much better shape than say Flint, Gary or Newark). It's interesting that Google selected the lowest income part of KC metro first but KCK has an easy to work with city govt that is considered progressive (red tape avoidance wise) for city govts and apparently they thought it would be easiest city to deploy in. KC, MO side will also get Gfiber starting in Spring, which has every variety of demographics.

This area in KCK has a lot of old bungalow blue collar homes but is not a crime ridden area. Is a good cheap way for startups to get in the door. Bungalows are well under $50K. Is also right on the state line near Westport neighborhood on MO side, which is a hipster area of KC with a lot of ethnic eats, thrift shops, hookah, indie stores, etc. Hanover Heights is a fairly good location (for KCK) with dirt cheap homes.

When KCMO gets this next Spring, the Crossroads Arts district in downtown will probably become another startup village as there are already a bunch of tech companies/startups there. It's a pretty cool loft/warehouse type environment. But the bungalow hood in KCK is a cheaper way to get in.
xenophon

xenophon

Member

Re: Startup village posting live install - 1PM CST today

Forbes is also tracking the live install...

»www.forbes.com/sites/ale ··· ched-on/
Kamus
join:2011-01-27
El Paso, TX

Kamus to brianiscool

Member

to brianiscool

Re: Great

said by brianiscool:

Makes my 155Mbps connection at home seem outdated.

That's because it is.

Now, imagine how the majority of the world feels that is stuck on a more than 30 year old copper infrastructure meant for voice. (DSL)
That's not just outdated, it's a relic of the past that for some reason isn't in a museum instead of connecting the people to the best information technology we've ever had.

The Limit
Premium Member
join:2007-09-25
Denver, CO

The Limit

Premium Member

So...

So, apparently the project didn't get delayed or shelved like some predicted here. I'm glad that these users have access to this bleeding 'net speed. Now where's mine?! Lol
elray
join:2000-12-16
Santa Monica, CA

1 recommendation

elray to IowaCowboy

Member

to IowaCowboy

Re: The next Bell System

said by IowaCowboy:

Maybe if we give Google the perks and incentives that AT&T/Bell System was given, maybe they'll expand it to a national monopoly on broadband (fiber).

Maybe Google can buy out Verizon FiOS since Verizon seems very interested in exiting the wireline business and they don't seem to want to expand FiOS despite the fact it sells like hot cakes in areas that FiOS has been deployed.

If FiOS was "selling like hotcakes", Verizon would continue to expand its footprint.
The simple fact is that the majority of consumers in Fios territories do not want to pay for it - this has been proven for six years.

Who would pay $70+ a month for fiber optic when you can get cable modem or DSL service for $30? Answer: not that many.
silbaco
Premium Member
join:2009-08-03
USA

silbaco to JasonOD

Premium Member

to JasonOD

Re: Unsustainable

said by JasonOD :

Not saying google won't prop it up indefinitely, but the financials of offering something for free (5mbps) or 1gbps for $70 even while whoring every scrap of data to generate ad revenue doesn't add up without massive company subsidies. And in this case, the help of Kansas City's anti-competitive easement deals.

Look for big price increases soon, or look for this to be the first and last google fiber 'project'.

It may turn out to be profitable, but only because Google cherry picked the perfect neighborhoods in a city that gave them the perfect operating conditions. The fiber appears to be being deployed above ground, which is a poor solution for the longterm but made deployment much cheaper.

As I have said before, if offering free service and 1gbps service for $70 was practical, the dozens of cooperatives in this country that have ftth deployed would be doing it. But it isn't practical in real world deployment outside these ideal conditions.
xenophon
join:2007-09-17

xenophon

Member

Re: Startup village posting live install - 1PM CST today

quote:
Google Q&A...
12:15 – Question: When will Google Fiber be opened up to businesses rather than residences. Answer: 100% focused on residences now, but a small business product will be coming soon.

12:17 – Question: Will Google monitor bandwidth or limiting bandwidth? Answer: Not at all. We have policies in place to optimize types of traffic like video, but it’s not based on content.


morbo
Complete Your Transaction
join:2002-01-22
00000

morbo to JasonOD

Member

to JasonOD

Re: Unsustainable

It may not be a huge money maker for Google initially, but that's not the purpose of this project. It's to show the public how incumbent telco and cableco have been sitting with their thumbs in their butts sending expensive bills to users for slow internet service.

Despite the whining and complaining from telco and cableco, it can be done, and Google is showing that with this project.
xenophon
join:2007-09-17

xenophon to silbaco

Member

to silbaco
In that particular neighborhood it's above ground hookups. In many others they'll be doing, especially with a lot of hirise housing (including mine), they will be using existing underground conduit.
silbaco
Premium Member
join:2009-08-03
USA

silbaco to Kamus

Premium Member

to Kamus

Re: Great

said by Kamus:

said by brianiscool:

Makes my 155Mbps connection at home seem outdated.

That's because it is.

Now, imagine how the majority of the world feels that is stuck on a more than 30 year old copper infrastructure meant for voice. (DSL)
That's not just outdated, it's a relic of the past that for some reason isn't in a museum instead of connecting the people to the best information technology we've ever had.

In the US, the FCC is to blame for that. They have been poor at enforcing and creating regulations by letting companies perform suboptimally and failing to regulate business practices.

They also don't let telcos that deploy fiber abandon copper, they make them maintain both. That makes it cost prohibitive and something Google doesn't have to deal with. Verizon is paying out the nose right now for having to maintain both systems. The FCC needs to take a stand and say you must supply either fiber or copper to your customers for the foreseeable future, but not both.

aaronwt
Premium Member
join:2004-11-07
Woodbridge, VA
Asus RT-AX89

aaronwt to elray

Premium Member

to elray

Re: The next Bell System

said by elray:

said by IowaCowboy:

Maybe if we give Google the perks and incentives that AT&T/Bell System was given, maybe they'll expand it to a national monopoly on broadband (fiber).

Maybe Google can buy out Verizon FiOS since Verizon seems very interested in exiting the wireline business and they don't seem to want to expand FiOS despite the fact it sells like hot cakes in areas that FiOS has been deployed.

If FiOS was "selling like hotcakes", Verizon would continue to expand its footprint.
The simple fact is that the majority of consumers in Fios territories do not want to pay for it - this has been proven for six years.

Who would pay $70+ a month for fiber optic when you can get cable modem or DSL service for $30? Answer: not that many.

Even if FiOS was selling like Hotcakes they still would not continue to expand. Because they are not happy with only a 10% to 15% profit margin. They want to get the 25% to 35% profit margins like they do with Verizon Wireless.
silbaco
Premium Member
join:2009-08-03
USA

silbaco to xenophon

Premium Member

to xenophon

Re: Unsustainable

Good. That is how they should all be. Years of being exposed to the elements can impact even the best cables.
elefante72
join:2010-12-03
East Amherst, NY

elefante72 to elray

Member

to elray

Re: The next Bell System

Because a vast majority of people don't get just internet. They get 2 play or 3 play. Taken as just internet, FIOS pricing sucks compared to TWC in my area.

If you look at my block of 20 houses, 17 have converted to FIOS which used to be 100% TWC before this, so I would say it's working in my cherry picked neighborhood.

I pay $107 w/ taxes for the 3 play and get 25/25 which is good, but if google offered me $120, I'd be gone in a second. I could port the phone service in a minute for short cash.

FIOS penetration sits about 33%. It will need to get in the 40's for more investment because TWC is launching packages to pick off customers. Welcome to competition. The beneficiaries: The Customer.

Verizon will never sell off FIOS because they will use it to connect to businesses, which is the real money maker. Residential is a nice to have....
silbaco
Premium Member
join:2009-08-03
USA

silbaco to aaronwt

Premium Member

to aaronwt
The profit margin on FiOS could be very good, but as long as people continue to use DSL/copper it will remain low. Verizon needs to move everyone over to FiOS and off of copper because it is pricey to maintain a copper network. But they can't, so it continues to sit. If they could future FiOS expansion would not be out of the question.

Oh_No
Trogglus normalus
join:2011-05-21
Chicago, IL

Oh_No

Member

I dont get this comment.
Verizon owns the dsl/copper lines and the fiber lines.
If they upgrade an area for fios they can force people to switch by turning off the copper.
Oh_No

Oh_No to silbaco

Member

to silbaco

Re: Unsustainable

They will go with what is already in the area.
Above ground stays above ground.
Underground will stay underground
EngineerDave
join:2001-08-27
Birmingham, AL

EngineerDave to silbaco

Member

to silbaco

Re: Great

said by silbaco:

They also don't let telcos that deploy fiber abandon copper, they make them maintain both. That makes it cost prohibitive and something Google doesn't have to deal with. Verizon is paying out the nose right now for having to maintain both systems. The FCC needs to take a stand and say you must supply either fiber or copper to your customers for the foreseeable future, but not both.

Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winner! This is correct.

marigolds
Gainfully employed, finally
MVM
join:2002-05-13
Saint Louis, MO

marigolds to JasonOD

MVM

to JasonOD

Re: Unsustainable

said by JasonOD :

And in this case, the help of Kansas City's anti-competitive easement deals.

Just curious what this part is about. On the other side of the state here in St Louis, the state controls access to easements. The munis get no ability to say "no" or even negotiate prices.
Sammer
join:2005-12-22
Canonsburg, PA

Sammer to silbaco

Member

to silbaco

Re: Great

said by silbaco:

In the US, the FCC is to blame for that. They have been poor at enforcing and creating regulations by letting companies perform suboptimally and failing to regulate business practices.

They also don't let telcos that deploy fiber abandon copper, they make them maintain both. That makes it cost prohibitive and something Google doesn't have to deal with.

AFAIK it is usually a state commission that requires the copper to be maintained. Some small (tiny compared to Verizon) phone companies have been allowed to replace their copper with fiber optics. The FCC should encourage fiber to premises being made available to over 90% of U.S. homes before the copper PSTN is allowed to be abandoned by the big boys including CenturyLink, FairPoint, and Frontier.

Yello
@144.70.2.x

Yello to Oh_No

Anon

to Oh_No

Re: The next Bell System

Verizon's legacy wireline business is regulated and publicly funded via USF. They cannot just force people onto FiOS abandon the copper.
Kearnstd
Space Elf
Premium Member
join:2002-01-22
Mullica Hill, NJ

Kearnstd to TexasRebel

Premium Member

to TexasRebel

Re: why?

said by TexasRebel:

are they rolling it out in runned down neighborhoods?? That enclosed photo on the article shows an installation van parked in a dump of a neighborhood. Who's fronting the bill?? Government Welfare checks??

Looks like a fairly normal dense suburb to me. Clearly you have never actually seen a run down neighborhood.
TexasRebel
join:2011-05-29
Edgewood, TX

TexasRebel

Member

1Gbps symmetrical fiber to the house and I would expect to see it rolling out to neighborhoods where the houses are $300K+ or better known as upper middle class.

on a different note, why the hell does anyone need 1Gbps symmetrical anyway? 25Mbps would be plenty for most people that surf the internet and maybe watch a few movies off Netflix a week.
xenophon
join:2007-09-17

2 edits

xenophon

Member

They will be rolling out to every demographic and neighborhood type that exists - from $30K dumps to $1M+ condos/homes to hirises to exurbia. Are you suggesting Google should only service higher end customers?

Edit:

If it makes you feel better, Gfiber is rolling out to these hoods next Spring...
»www.reeceandnichols.com/ ··· =6&view=

And these condo buildings downtown..
»www.reeceandnichols.com/ ··· =6&view=
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