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People Still Seemingly Upset There's No Killer App for 1 Gbps

Google Fiber has launched us into an era where everyone has become obsessed with the 1 Gbps watermark, even if the actual number of people who can get these speeds remains relatively small, and the need for that type of speed remains dubious. Incumbent ISPs have indeed been quick to piggyback on the idea that nobody needs 1 Gbps, but they're largely just hoping to shift the conversation away from their aggressively uncompetitive high prices.

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The New York Times recently penned a piece that seems almost upset about the fact that there's no "killer app" yet for 1 Gbps connections, suggesting it's a real problem we can't utilize the full speed right this very instant:
quote:
After a few million in waived permit fees and granting Google free access to public land, the area is finding out that Google Fiber is so fast, it’s hard to know what to do with it. There aren’t really any applications that fully take advantage of Fiber’s speed, at least not for ordinary people. And since only a few cities have such fast Internet access, tech companies aren’t clamoring to build things for Fiber. So it has fallen to locals — academics, residents, programmers and small-business owners — to make the best of it.
Yes, Kansas City will have to "make the best of" getting symmetrical 1 Gbps lines for $70 a month, with no caps or fees (not to mention Google Fiber's "free" 5 Mbps tier). Again, whether you need 1 Gbps seems to miss the point. Google's captured the imagination of the country by offering more speed than users can even use at a price that's on par with much, much slower offerings in uncompetitive markets. Once the networks are built, the innovative uses are never far behind.

It's certainly a "problem" than tens of millions of users stuck on satellite broadband or yesterday's DSL speeds would love to have. What would you use a 1 Gbps line for?

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

Member

NYT Author Framed the Question Incorrectly

I take issue with Conor Dougherty's framing of the article as people trying to find out what to do with all the speed being the challenge.

It's about what is no longer a challenge with a 1 Gbps up/down connection compared to what consumers without that class of connection deal with daily.

* Multiple, concurrent HD streams at the maximum quality available (except when limited by your ISP: Verizon, AT&T, and until recently Comcast). Have 5 people in your home and you all want to watch an Netflix Stream? No problem. That only consumes 75 Mbps.

* Want to upload huge files or documents? Do you use an online backup system to back up your entire systems? With a 1 Gbps connection this is no longer a multi-day or multi-week process.

* Want to have your VoIP line available with the ability to use HD codecs? Upload is not an issue.

* Want to hold Facetime or Skype session and not be limited by your ISP's wimpy connection? 1 Gbps makes sure any problems aren't due to your connection.

* Want to download the latest Harmy's Despecialized Star Wars by torrent? You can do that.

* Want to do all of the above at the same time without being limited by your connection? That's the 'killer app' of having a 1 Gbps.
trix2
join:2012-06-11
Columbus, OH

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trix2

Member

How about Time's person of the year?

If we are going to embrace the cloud (OneDrive, Dropbox ...) and continue to share 1080p or 4k videos via Youtube, 1Gbps is essential for the future.

Cloud storage is impractical to use with an asymmetrical connection. I hate it. If I take videos or pictures of my DSLR, the set I end up sharing is large enough that I leave my computer on overnight to upload my content. Heck, faster internet might reduce greenhouse gasses!
AndyDufresne
Premium Member
join:2010-10-30
Chanhassen, MN
Ubiquiti EdgeRouter ERPro8
Netgear R7000

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AndyDufresne

Premium Member

Didn't any of them see Field of Dreams

"If you build it, he will come."

What happened to our imagination? The killer app might never surface if a road isn't paved and 1Gbps is that road.

Google is by far not a perfect company but without them rattling the status quo no way we would have the current expansion of 1 Gbps at current price points.

AT&T hates you.