republican-creole
site Search:


 
   
story category
Free Google Wi-Fi?
Business 2.0 speculates...
by Karl Bode Monday 15-Aug-2005 tags: business · wireless
Business 2.0's Om Malik adds to the Google rumor bin by speculating the search giant could launch a giant, ad-driven free Wi-Fi service. The article picks up on older rumors fueled by Google's acquisition of dark fiber, points to Google's relationship with Wi-Fi startup Feeva, and blends it all to somehow suggest Google is cooking up a massive Wi-Fi "GoogleNet."

view: topics flat text 
Post a:

quetwo
That VoIP Guy
Premium
join:2004-09-04
East Lansing, MI

Oh, and...

Oh, and don't forget, Google is running for president in 2012.

Come-on, kids... Rumor mills are just that, rumors. Did anybody just think that Google bought up dark fiber because it might either be a good investment, or that maybe they needed to connect some of their data-centers together?
Primis1

join:2005-06-13
Coldwater, MI

Re: Oh, and...

quote:
Come-on, kids... Rumor mills are just that, rumors. Did anybody just think that Google bought up dark fiber because it might either be a good investment, or that maybe they needed to connect some of their data-centers together?
From what I hear Google mirrors their servers to and from the East and West Coast nightly, and when they do it generally totally saturates the pipes they're using in-between until the mirroring and backup is completed, which occasionally wreaks havoc. I have it on good word from an industry insider that their mirroring is by far the most-painful and bandwidth-hungry mirroring he'd ever seen even amongst the bigshot companies.

So I'm not the least bit surprised Google would therefore want more pipe to use, whatever they can get and wherever they can get it.

Topmounter
Sent By Grocery Clerks

join:2001-02-20
Evergreen, CO
Please don't forget the "mill" part...


a machine that manufactures by the continuous repetition of some simple action

--
"If PCs are hard, then Macs are flaccid" -bb

Andrew J
Premium
join:2001-11-09
Lancaster, PA
Reviews:
·Comcast
Many people said Google would never offer 1GB email, well they did. A year later more said they would never offer 2GB emails, well they did. You can find these statements all over the web/usenet by using Google.
--
Best Team.

ThrowDemsOut
If you can't convince 'em, confuse 'em
Premium
join:2002-03-03
Mullica Hill, NJ
kudos:4

If true,puts Google in competition with major ISPs

If any of this comes about, having a national WiFi service would put Google in direct competition with major ISPs in all the major US cities. I wonder what steps those ISPs might take in shutting down access to Google web sites if that occurred?
--
My Web Page
Join Red Room Forum

grapkoski
Premium
join:2004-05-28
Washington, DC

Re: If true,puts Google in competition with major

That could cause a major backlash from consumers, mostly because it is the first time that an ISP has blocked a major website that people use on a daily basis. So in reality that would be suicide on the ISPs part and the only way they could stay afloat is to compete like any other business.

tshirt
Premium,MVM
join:2004-07-11
Snohomish, WA
kudos:3
Reviews:
·Comcast

Re: If true,puts Google in competition with major ISPs

I certainly see the value of Google being able to offer a directed search for the area directly around your current location for mobile customers, and reaping higher ad rates while cutting bandwidth charges.
But I don't see "free", at least not for more than a quick search, in the long run.
Even the mighty Google ad-borg, is needing to generate more revenue then ads provide, in the form of premium services.
cfarm

join:2005-08-12
Byron, CA

$60/Meg of data transfer

Did anyone else read that in the article? I'd immediately run up the BS flag for that one.

Who's gonna pay for those tens of thousands of antennas and jump through the permit process to get them installed?

Yukstah
Premium
join:2003-04-07
Boston, MA

Re: $60/Meg of data transfer - nah!

No one pays $60/mbit for bulk internet transit. Low cost carriers (the cogent and like) can be had at $10/mbit with decent commit rates, even less if they’re purchasing gigs/month.

If Google is leasing dark fiber, there are still monthly reoccurring fees. I wonder if Google could afford to buy out an ISP such as cogent….just food for thought (I have zero financial information to back any of this up)

MxxC

@xtential.com

another piece of this puzzle

don't forget that google recently bought out www.dodgeball.com
small newyork company that allowed you to locate your friends using cellphone positioning...

tshirt
Premium,MVM
join:2004-07-11
Snohomish, WA
kudos:3
Reviews:
·Comcast

1 edit

good idea

so they get to install antennas at the local shops in the neighborhood in return for ad contracts for very localized ads ("Hungry? Joe's pizza is right across the street!") which show up with every search or map.
Google earth will show prefered providers first, and offer inducments for merchants slow time of day (Try Joe's early special, 10% off for lunch orders before picked up by 11:30)and so on.
unexpected local rain storm? suddenly umbrellas are advertized for a store on the next corner.
Google has lots of money and a reputation for inovation, they bought the fiber and the programs to make it work.
This is something cell providers already are working on, but Google might have the resources to be the third party that can make it universal.
jniamehr
Premium
join:2003-10-09
Roslyn, NY

Re: good idea

I hope its not wifi and something stronger and better... but yeah google doesnt waste money they bought that fiber to light it up...

tshirt
Premium,MVM
join:2004-07-11
Snohomish, WA
kudos:3
Reviews:
·Comcast

Re: good idea

They'll likely go with the lowest common denominator, that has reasonable/low terminal cost, reasonable range, and wide public acceptance.
Wi-FI or small bluetooth nets seem the most likely now.
this may be essentially overlaying the existing celluar networks with a privite data network in order to get the localization data.
This could all be handle through current cel networks for those with Inet,email, or IM capable mobile phones/devices

DaneJasper
Sonic.Net
Premium,VIP
join:2001-08-20
Santa Rosa, CA
kudos:7
said by tshirt:

so they get to install antennas at the local shops in the neighborhood in return for ad contracts for very localized ads ("Hungry? Joe's pizza is right across the street!") which show up with every search or map.
Google earth will show prefered providers first, and offer inducments for merchants slow time of day (Try Joe's early special, 10% off for lunch orders before picked up by 11:30)and so on.
unexpected local rain storm? suddenly umbrellas are advertized for a store on the next corner.
Maybe Google actually == SkyNet??



-Dane

Anonymous_
Anonymous
Premium
join:2004-06-21
127.0.0.1
kudos:2

even if they could

even if they could there would be way(s) to block the ads
like using a other computer as a bypass to block them they for the other computer that is not being used would get the ad's

visio

join:2001-08-29
Pompano Beach, FL

Re: even if they could

say what?

probrian

@ceu.edu

Better story

»www.business2.com/b2/web/article···,00.html
here is a better story on the subject i believe that they will do it.;)

Sunday, 12-Feb 06:48:05 Terms of Use & Privacy | feedback | contact | Hosting by nac.net - DSL,Hosting & Co-lo
over 12.5 years online! © 1999-2012 dslreports.com.