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Google Fiber Re-Opens Sign Ups In Kansas City
Google is giving potential Google Fiber customers in Kansas City another chance to sign up for service if the missed the first wave. According to a company blog post, Google has re-opened Google Fiber sign ups in Kansas City. If you live in either Kansas City, Kansas or Central Kansas City, Missouri and live in one of the 180 "fiberhoods" approved to see build outs, you can head to Google's sign up page and get a second chance at 1 Gbps goodness. Google states that users who sign up between now and December 22 should have service installed in Spring of 2014 -- but will get a free Nexus 7 tablet to play with while they wait.
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elefante72
join:2010-12-03
East Amherst, NY

1 recommendation

elefante72

Member

Sounds sleezy

Sort of like kiss the ring and in 3 months you may get your connection. Now if that were TWC they would be crucified, and only if you are in a "hood". Well what if you sign a contract w/ XYZ and then 6 months later your hood lights up? They going to pay the termination fee?

I understand the financial model, however it's definitely haves and have nots, and the rest are certainly going to have rates "adjusted" by the incumbent TWC.

If they do away w/ POTS, this new model is going to open a can of worms for abuses and make the gap even wider.

IMHO they should take the USF superfund, and subsidize build outs for the have nots so at least people can take advantage of the free offering where they can't profitably to offer the service. Of course that also opens up GOOG to the high risk costs for equipment and the like that goes w/ those neighborhoods that the regular operators need to face, but hey what is the real need of the billions frittered away on USF for then???

Bed bugs anyone?

tiger72
SexaT duorP
Premium Member
join:2001-03-28
Saint Louis, MO

tiger72

Premium Member

Re: Sounds sleezy

said by elefante72:

Sort of like kiss the ring and in 3 months you may get your connection. Now if that were TWC they would be crucified, and only if you are in a "hood". Well what if you sign a contract w/ XYZ and then 6 months later your hood lights up? They going to pay the termination fee?

Don't sign a contract? Don't sign up for Google Fiber? How is this model any different than Kickstarter (which people love)?

I understand the financial model, however it's definitely haves and have nots, and the rest are certainly going to have rates "adjusted" by the incumbent TWC.

Except that - eventually - every part of KC will have access to Google Fiber. Time Warner rate adjustments would simply delay the inevitable for customers in their service areas.

If they do away w/ POTS, this new model is going to open a can of worms for abuses and make the gap even wider.

Howso? And how is Google (rather than, say, VZ or ATT) the catalyst to this can of worms you speak of?

IMHO they should take the USF superfund, and subsidize build outs for the have nots so at least people can take advantage of the free offering where they can't profitably to offer the service. Of course that also opens up GOOG to the high risk costs for equipment and the like that goes w/ those neighborhoods that the regular operators need to face, but hey what is the real need of the billions frittered away on USF for then???

Bed bugs anyone?

Have you read anything about Google Fiber before today? I'm beginning to think not.
elefante72
join:2010-12-03
East Amherst, NY

elefante72

Member

Re: Sounds sleezy

1. Kickstarter - Anyone can sign up. Google, anyone can sign up but you only get it if enough people sign up in your hood. And after KS goes live, anyone can get it.

2. Oh you want to move:
What happens if I move from an Already Connected Home in a Fiberhood to one that did not qualify? Will I ever get service at the new Home? Do I need to return the equipment and pay the remaining construction fee balance? (Example move: Hanover Heights to River Oaks)

If you move out of your connected home, you will need to cancel service, return the equipment in good working order and pay any outstanding balances on your construction fee.

We hope to be able to include non-qualified fiberhoods in future rallies, but for now we can't commit to building in any non-qualified fiberhoods.

3. POTS is regulated and requires everyone to have access--a utility. If POTS goes away and google decides not to wire a fiberhood, and then they allow cable operators to do the same (its only fair), now you may have patches without telecom service, something akin to a 3rd world country. Don't think this is possible, think again. That is the likely conclusion. Ok, you may get wireless for $10 a GB, great deal...

4. Yes I have, and I work with a majority of the telcos out there and my background is in optical engineering. Essentially GOOG got the absolute best-case business model (cherry picking, do whatever you want, low cost right of way), whereas everyone else needs to live under franchise agreements, which of course has a much higher cost basis both CapEX and OpEX. So again this is the government creating a situation where existing operators are at a huge disadvantage. Typically it works in their favor, but in this case, the reverse. I would say, yeah, but anytime the government stifles innovation through regulation and creates artificial barriers (or takes them down), this unbalances the market in an irrational way.

5. The USF comment is that since it's inception there has been enough money collected to wire every single home more than once with fiber, and this could have been a utility with competitive access like we have in NY for utilities. The money is just frittered away to subsidize inefficiency, instead of creating a market to promote competition and lower price. I can think of another recently launched government plan that is just a monster-sized USF....

GFiber
@surewest.net

GFiber to elefante72

Anon

to elefante72
WTF? You may get your connection? I see, NEW YORK.

Google Fiber customer since Feb. 2013, Also we can't even get Time Warner.
TBBroadband
join:2012-10-26
Fremont, OH

TBBroadband

Member

Re: Sounds sleezy

GF on a Surewest domain? Try again.

GFiber
@surewest.net

GFiber

Anon

Re: Sounds sleezy

Try this, now it says verizon.

tshirt
Premium Member
join:2004-07-11
Snohomish, WA

tshirt

Premium Member

Re: Sounds sleezy

No, It does not, It says ANONTROLL.net
GFiber
join:2013-11-21
Kansas City, KS

GFiber

Member

Re: Sounds sleezy

Click for full size
OK, now I'm registered.
TBBroadband
join:2012-10-26
Fremont, OH

TBBroadband

Member

Re: Sounds sleezy

and registering shows what? Your domain that you were tagged to still says your IP was from Surewest. And a screen shot proves nothing. Ever heard of Paint or Photoshop?

FYI- for someone having GF- you're still not getting your full gig so why does it matter that you can get it if you're not even getting that speed on their own test results?
GFiber
join:2013-11-21
Kansas City, KS

GFiber

Member

Re: Sounds sleezy

Maybe I have a job that uses Surewest?

Are you getting what you pay for with uverse?
Skippy25
join:2000-09-13
Hazelwood, MO

Skippy25 to TBBroadband

Member

to TBBroadband
Really, He is getting over 900mpbs up AND down and you are going to nitpick about that?

So what do you get for $70 a month? Let's see if you are on uVerse the best you get is what 24mbps for only a few dollars less.
GFiber
join:2013-11-21
Kansas City, KS

GFiber

Member

Re: Sounds sleezy

I think a lot of people are just jealous of it.

You can't believe how fast the internet and Google Earth run. Open up 5 taps with 5 different 4K videos on Youtube, no problem.

Also the picture quality blows everyone out of the water. I've had it since Feb. this year and every time you turn on a TV it's like seeing HD for the first time.
Skippy25
join:2000-09-13
Hazelwood, MO

Skippy25

Member

Re: Sounds sleezy

He isn't jealous. Review his past, he is more concerned with his financial interest in the incumbents that fail when it comes to broadband.
sonicmerlin
join:2009-05-24
Cleveland, OH

sonicmerlin to elefante72

Member

to elefante72
If you add together the USF wasted over the last 15 years you could easily build fiber to every household in the US.
openbox9
Premium Member
join:2004-01-26
71144

openbox9

Premium Member

Re: Sounds sleezy

Please provide numbers.
Skippy25
join:2000-09-13
Hazelwood, MO

Skippy25

Member

Re: Sounds sleezy

USF collects about $4.5 billion a year doesnt it?
openbox9
Premium Member
join:2004-01-26
71144

openbox9

Premium Member

Re: Sounds sleezy

I don't know, but that doesn't fulfill my request.
sonicmerlin
join:2009-05-24
Cleveland, OH

sonicmerlin

Member

Re: Sounds sleezy

Are you purposely being obtuse? Multiply $4.5 billion by 15 years. If even half of that were used to build out fiber, most cities would be covered and ongoing revenue would cover the rest.
openbox9
Premium Member
join:2004-01-26
71144

openbox9

Premium Member

Re: Sounds sleezy

You're suggesting that $67.5B is enough money to string fiber to every single outhouse across the US? I need more than your simple assumption, hence my request.
silbaco
Premium Member
join:2009-08-03
USA

1 recommendation

silbaco

Premium Member

Google Fiber

If they were serious about offering Google Fiber, why did they close sign ups to begin with? Wouldn't you want everyone to be able to sign up at any time to experience Google Fiber's greatness?

Sounds to me like they are just trying to milk the press for free publicity again and shame those incumbents who allow you to sign up at any time.
xenophon
join:2007-09-17

xenophon

Member

Re: Google Fiber

It was probably to get those partly interested to signup at the start to get as many up front. Many somewhat interested probably wouldn't have bothered until actually available to hookup.
Skippy25
join:2000-09-13
Hazelwood, MO

Skippy25 to silbaco

Member

to silbaco
I'm no brainchild or anything, but being I work in a company that does deployments of many products that involve over 25000+ users I am guessing it is for the same reason we do it:

To stagger the rollout for cost and resources. In addition to control the potential issues and try to keep up the user expectation.

Allow sign ups and giving the time in advance they can expect it is maintaining the user expectation and allows them to better allocate their resources.
xenophon
join:2007-09-17

xenophon

Member

Suburban signups to start in March

Also in same blog, first wave of suburbs can signup in March...
quote:
In March, folks in Kansas City, North, South Kansas City, Mo, Gladstone, Grandview and Raytown will be able to start signing up for Google Fiber. Just like our first wave of sign-ups, we’ll divide these areas into small sections called “fiberhoods.”

tshirt
Premium Member
join:2004-07-11
Snohomish, WA

tshirt

Premium Member

It appears to be...

... publicity aimed at pumping up KCMO signups which seem to be lagging »fiber.google.com/cities/ ··· er=check.
The KCKS is probably filler to keep the crews busy until more areas are backhaul ready, plus it's a lot easier to get them while the main install crews are still in town.
xenophon
join:2007-09-17

xenophon

Member

Re: It appears to be...

What in that link indicates lagging?

tshirt
Premium Member
join:2004-07-11
Snohomish, WA

1 edit

tshirt

Premium Member

Re: It appears to be...

if you look at the signups progress in the neighborhoods, the progress is far slower then the KCKS was a the same point in time, and strangely oak park isn't even qualified (google street views make appear to be a prosperous, even upscale sort of place that might be a good target neighborhood. (Not being local I have no direct way of knowing)

edit: you must look at the "All Fiberhoods" link at KCMO
xenophon
join:2007-09-17

xenophon

Member

Re: It appears to be...

Can't really use that as a valid indicator. There are many hoods like Crown Center and River Market that have service but do not show as 'connected' in the google map. I know people in those hoods who are connected.
Os
join:2011-01-26
US

Os

Member

Picking and Choosing When Your Customers Can Sign Up

Is idiotic. Can you imagine Time Warner Cable or AT&T saying "Oh, we're not interested in installing service for you, try again in a few months".

It makes Google Fiber not look serious, and it makes it look more like a publicity stunt than actually providing a real broadband service.
TBBroadband
join:2012-10-26
Fremont, OH

TBBroadband

Member

Re: Picking and Choosing When Your Customers Can Sign Up

But this is okay since it's Google and they're giving you fiber optic.

Cherrypicks
@206.19.213.x

Cherrypicks to Os

Anon

to Os
Isn't this what going is on with Verizon's FIOS or AT&T's UVerse?
Os
join:2011-01-26
US

Os

Member

Re: Picking and Choosing When Your Customers Can Sign Up

Verizon and AT&T are picking and choosing who can sign up, not when they can.

If you call them and want service, they'll get there as soon as they can.

KrK
Heavy Artillery For The Little Guy
Premium Member
join:2000-01-17
Tulsa, OK

KrK

Premium Member

Re: Picking and Choosing When Your Customers Can Sign Up

Which is anytime between now, and never.
Skippy25
join:2000-09-13
Hazelwood, MO

Skippy25 to Os

Member

to Os
Please think before you post.

IF you can sign up with them then they probably have all services available and arent rolling their services out like Google is.

If they dont service you yet, you can't sign up and they arent going to bring it to you at anytime in the foreseen future - it is as simple as that. Even if they were "planning" a rollout, you still can't sign up.