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New Clearwire Won't Use Google Fiber
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I was never much for the annoying and persistent rumor that Google was going to become a national broadband provider. Every time the company bought fiber, hired a networking expert (like TCP/IP co-creator Vint Cerf) or invested in the 700Mhz auction -- people assumed they wanted to become Google, the ISP. The truth is that Google was always interested in just one thing: selling advertisements and beefing up their infrastructure. As additional proof: Now that Google has directly invested $500 million into the new Clearwire WiMax joint-venture, the company won't even be allowing the new company to piggyback on their vast fiber links.
quote:
The recent $500 million investment by Google into a "new" Clearwire venture threw up the intriguing prospect that the operator might be able to use Google's dark fiber resources to reduce the cost of connecting its cell sites back to the wired Internet. Google, however, got back to Unstrung on Monday to say that such a move isn't in the cards.
Google will of course have search and application priority on the new network. But Google as an ISP was always an unfounded pipe dream.
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charterengr
Premium Member
join:2002-03-09
Newnan, GA

charterengr

Premium Member

Google fiber

Google has national fiber strands/waves. Long haul from city to city. Cell backhaul is a completely different part of the network, and there is little doubt that Googe's assets are all but useless for the purpose of cell backhaul. (Not that Clearwire won't have some national IP/data needs.)

odog
Minister of internet doohickies
Premium Member
join:2001-08-05
Atlanta, GA
Nokia BGW320-505

1 recommendation

odog

Premium Member

Ya still need the loop

Local loop that is. Sprint has a pretty vast intra-city fiber network and could offer Clearwire the same thing as Google. The ILEC still needs to provide a local loop to the tower or some indy fiber operator.... and maybe... just maybe the cable company!
iansltx
join:2007-02-19
Austin, TX

iansltx

Member

Re: Ya still need the loop

I recall reading on here that cable companies have worked iwth Sprint in the past for local loops. So why not now? Also, Clearwire really doesn't need Google's help with dark fiber etc. sprintLink's network is high-capacity and nationwide already, and the cable companies can probably do the "last mile" to the towers.

FFH5
Premium Member
join:2002-03-03
Tavistock NJ

1 recommendation

FFH5

Premium Member

Re: Ya still need the loop

said by iansltx:

I recall reading on here that cable companies have worked iwth Sprint in the past for local loops. So why not now? Also, Clearwire really doesn't need Google's help with dark fiber etc. sprintLink's network is high-capacity and nationwide already, and the cable companies can probably do the "last mile" to the towers.
You are right. Comcast and TW are also investors in this venture and I expect that they will use their local infrastructure to provide links to the Wimax towers.

Pv8man999
@wideopenwest.com

Pv8man999

Anon

If google became an ISP...

They would simply be the best dam ISP they could be, or at least beat the s**t out of the rest in competition.

come on, just picture the ads google would release

PolarBear03
The bear formerly known as aaron8301
Premium Member
join:2005-01-03

PolarBear03

Premium Member

Google doesn't have it in them

Google isn't nearly evil and greedy and conniving enough to be an ISP.

Besides, they'd end up suing themselves for blocking customer downloads of content that was found on their search engine. It'd be quite the contradicting paradox!

Wimaxpro
@comcast.net

Wimaxpro

Anon

Google is in the database mastering business ....

not the business of building their own networks. Google has never intended to take part in networks except as a catalyst to further the shift to open IP networks and devices that is an even playing field.

Their part in Clearwire, the Google-Earthlink metro-fi folly, and any similar WBB network deployment are just a means to an end to leverage regulators, suppliers, and network operators to make the shift to open networks.