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Will Google Pick Additional Fiber Cities?
New Hints That Kansas City is Just the Start
by Karl Bode Thursday 31-Mar-2011 tags: Fiber · coverage · business · bandwidth · consumers
As we noted yesterday, Google has selected Kansas City, Kansas as the site of their 1 Gbps fiber to the home test deployment. Over the last year Google has repeatedly made it clear that this deployment would be (aside from a small test in Stanford) a one-shot deal -- and that the company had absolutely no intention of getting into the ISP business.

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However, scattered throughout Google's presentation yesterday were several references that the company is considering pushing these trials into more than one city. In Google's video (at 1:18) Google co-founder Sergey Brin suggests there will be other deployments outside of Kansas City.

Google Vice President of Access Services Milo Medin has also updated yesterday's blog post to note that they'll be talking to additional cities about fiber:

We’ve heard from some communities that they’re disappointed not to have been selected for our initial build. So just to reiterate what I've said many times in interviews: we're so thrilled by the interest we've generated—today is the start, not the end the project. And over the coming months, we'll be talking to other interested cities about the possibility of us bringing ultra high-speed broadband to their communities.

Without delivering a single bit -- Google has gotten a ridiculous amount of free PR over the last year. Cities made local and national headlines daily by tripping over themselves to gain Google's broadband affections -- telling you plenty about the quality of connectivity in many markets. As such, it's possible Google is just providing vague promises with the hope this free PR gift will keep giving, as the company hadn't previously stated they wanted this to be a multi-city project.

We reached out to Google to if they really intend to expand, or if additional cities are a Gigabit pipe dream. "I would just reiterate what Milo said in his blog post – Kansas City, Kansas, is the start, and not the end, of this project," says a company spokesman.

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clvTown

@pacbell.net

Please come to Cleveland

and push TWC and AT&T out!
MeatballCB

join:2006-03-26

Re: Please come to Cleveland

Charlotte too please...
sonicmerlin

join:2009-05-24
Cleveland, OH
kudos:1
said by clvTown :

and push TWC and AT&T out!

God I hate Time Warner.

Why doesn't anyone in this stupid city propose a muni fiber network? You want to reverse the decline? Stop cow-towing to the corporations you idiots.

TSWYO
Premium
join:2003-05-03
Cheyenne, WY

Off the map locations

Google should pick a decent sized but off the map city. A city that normally would never have the chance to do such a build but has several backbone fiber lines running through it.... and I have one in mind...

N3OGH
Yo Soy Col. "Bat" Guano
Premium
join:2003-11-11
Philly burbs
kudos:1

Re: Off the map locations

Come one now, we all know why Google picked Kansas City.

Rib joints. Plenty of (really good) rib joints.

Any chance I can get a job on this project????
--
Petty people are disproportionally corrupted by petty power
xenophon

join:2007-09-17
Here's my speculation why Google chose KCK and the KC metro...

- KCK has a unified govt and operates the utilities so makes it easer to get local approval for deployment
- They have a great relationship with Sprint (based in KC metro) and perhaps might buy them.
- Sprint, ATT, Verizon, Abeline and MCI (Worldcomm) Internet backbones all have a several segment points in KC metro.
- Garmin being based in KC might have some perks to it if Google plans to setup shop here. Android is way into location-based services. Android integration would likely be tied into this project.
- Handmark is based in KC and is a major developer of mobile apps
- KC metro has an unusually high number of 'Information' (telcom/web services) employees for its size. Many are now unemployed or settled for a non-telcom/web job.
- KC has more engineers per cap than any US city
- Hospital services to the home is a big part of the services they mentioned. Cerner based in KC is the largest developer of medical apps.
- Burnt ends

KrK
Heavy Artillery For The Little Guy
Premium
join:2000-01-17
Tulsa, OK
Reviews:
·AT&T DSL Service
said by TSWYO:

Google should pick a decent sized but off the map city. A city that normally would never have the chance to do such a build but has several backbone fiber lines running through it.... and I have one in mind...

OMG You read my mind! TULSA, Oklahoma!
--
"Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the merger of state and corporate power." -- Benito Mussolini

mikedz4

join:2003-04-14
Weirton, WV
Reviews:
·Comcast
·Comcast Digital ..
How about weirton,wv/steubenville ohio. Combine metro population of 100,000 people. Three steel mills. One had 12,000 employees in the 70s and 80s now only 1000. The other two shut down completely leaving thousands unemployed and basically shutting down one city. That city can only afford to have one police officer BUT recently decided they would use the money that was to be used to patch roads to hire back three more police officers.
This area could really use a project like this especially with comcast now requiring a box on every tv and raising their rates.
sniperboyz

join:2009-10-30
Portsmouth, VA
Reviews:
·Cox HSI

Bring Google Fiber to Cox

Possible to have 160mbps/120mbps max with D3 (4 bonding channels) or 300mbps/200mbps with D3 (8 bonding channels) modem. I wish they can do it but I really don't know when Google Fiber develop in Virginia... Anyone agree with me about Google Fiber coming to VA?
luckylar

join:2002-01-29
Hixson, TN

Re: Bring Google Fiber to Cox

With fiber you don't need a modem. Straight to the comp or to router.
jcremin

join:2009-12-22
Siren, WI
kudos:2

Re: Bring Google Fiber to Cox

said by luckylar:

With fiber you don't need a modem. Straight to the comp or to router.

You typically do need some sort of device to convert it to standard Ethernet, though. Many PON's need an ONT to decrypt the signal. An active network MAY be able to be plugged directly into a router or computer with a fiber port on it, but the signalling would have to match the fiber transceiver on the other end, so it would rarely work.

koolkid1563
Premium,MVM
join:2005-11-06
Powell, WY

Re: Bring Google Fiber to Cox

There was one place where I found a GPON mini-GBIC 'ONT' that could essentially go right into a switch's mini-GBIC port and provide service straight to it over a GPON network. The ONT card is self contained inside the mini-GBIC card. I am not sure how that would work with provisioning software, though.
jcremin

join:2009-12-22
Siren, WI
kudos:2

Re: Bring Google Fiber to Cox

Yeah, that's the biggest problem... Physically, the connection should be no problem, but matching another proprietary system can be tough. I personally am a big fan of straight up active network with simple fiber converters on both ends, but even then the standards have to be matched on both sides. It would be nice if everything would simply be compatible with each other.

LightS

join:2005-12-17
Waco, TX
Reviews:
·Time Warner Cable
·RoadRunner Cable

Re: Bring Google Fiber to Cox

Maybe one day, it will be. After all, other RJ standards used to be for Ethernet only, and are now rarely found.

Either way, the fact that fiberoptic connections are not universal it simply makes it difficult to mix and match user equipment.

Sigh, if only things were easy in the networking world..
xenophon

join:2007-09-17

They may mean other cities in KC metro

It will be interesting to see if Google is actually getting into the ISP biz or if this is just their test network. It sounds like this is an R&D lab the size of a city.

If it's just a lab to create high speed services/apps, I'll be surprised if they expand, except to other cities in KC metro. If they plan to get into the ISP biz, then I could see them rolling out other cites. But you'd think they'd want to test the KCK network for a while before continuing to others.

As expensive it is to rollout fiber, the KC rollout might be an R&D expense/investment, not intended to be a profit making pipe.

macken 456

@sbcglobal.net

Re: They may mean other cities in KC metro

If this is indeed a fiber network, not wireless, and a true PON, FTTP system, they might want to talk to VZ about the effort to place fiber directly, very expensive and how will local governments deal with a third layer of broadband, the 1st 2 from local CATV and ATT
xenophon

join:2007-09-17

Re: They may mean other cities in KC metro

It's claimed to be a FTTH/P network. I imagine Google has an idea what it will cost but because it's an R&D investment, the pipe itself is probably not meant to make a profit for a long time if at all.

They partly chose KCK because they have a simplified unified govt that controls the utilities and only need to go to one agency. Much easier logistics to deploy. VZW probably had more city govt loops to go through. KCK has been scoring a lot of other projects during hard times lately because they have a simplified govt that makes things happen quick.
nanaki333

join:2010-08-11
Chantilly, VA

maybe they should do it in NC

since TWC pushed muni fiber out
praetoralpha

join:2005-08-06
Pittsburgh, PA

Re: maybe they should do it in NC

Imagine the sh!tstorm when TW and ATT try to legislate Google out!
gorehound

join:2009-06-19
Portland, ME
actually i like that idea.i live in portland maine and was going to post to come to our city but this is a better idea.
go and screw slime warner !!!!

afterwards come to portland maine
AndyDufresne
Premium
join:2010-10-30

It would be nice if they went to the bb wastelands

West Mass. comes to mind and any other place that does have access to wireline broadband. I guess will find ut if they build it will they come and when I say come I mean business/jobs. Kansas City is nice mid level city than they can put that to the test. We should hopefully see some startups follow fiber to Kansas City.
julienvf

join:2008-12-30
Verdun, QC
Reviews:
·Acanac

Plz come to Montréal, Québec!

Montréal, Québec has the lowest caps with cable provider Videotron (as low as 5gb per month for 30$ and 3mbps). I guess we're in almost the worst internet market in North America... If only the canadian government would allow foreign companies to invest in telecomms here!
Papageno

join:2011-01-26
Portland, OR

Portland OR, please

Come on, baby, daddy needs 1 Gbps! *drool*

Kommie
Premium
join:2003-05-13
united state
kudos:2

Portland is probobly next.

You heard it here first :P

JohnInSJ
Premium
join:2003-09-22
San Jose, CA
Reviews:
·PHONE POWER
·Comcast

Re: Portland is probobly next.

said by Kommie:

You heard it here first :P

Portland would work.
--
My place : »www.schettino.us

toby
Troy Mcclure

join:2001-11-13
Seattle, WA

Select a non-city

Select somewhere that doesn't already have a choice of DSL/cable/wireless.

i.e: not a city
openbox9

join:2004-01-26
Alexandria, VA
kudos:2

Re: Select a non-city

When will people realize that no sizable company will do what you're asking without significant regulation and subsidies? Most companies like growing revenues and stepping back to deploy infrastructure to unprofitable or less-profitable locales isn't in the interest of profits. Even the almighty "open, do no harm" Google understands that.
sonicmerlin

join:2009-05-24
Cleveland, OH
kudos:1

Re: Select a non-city

The main issue in a lot rural areas is more the cost of backhaul than the cost of rolling out fiber. Most rural houses are situated next to a main road, so fiber rolls aren't significantly more expensive than in urban areas.

But yes, I agree Google won't go to these areas. Even if they don't, if they just expand to the cities without fiber they would be doing a great service to a potential 80% of the people of the US.

I also think it's a great, *great* long-term strategic move for Google. It would take several years to pay off the network and become profitable, but once they did it Google would have a very consistent and profitable revenue stream.
openbox9

join:2004-01-26
Alexandria, VA
kudos:2

Re: Select a non-city

said by sonicmerlin:

Most rural houses are situated next to a main road

We obviously have differing definitions of rural. I invite you to visit near where I grew up in the middle of nowhere Iowa. My house was situated right next to cornfields on a gravel road. As were a majority of my neighbors' houses that were over a mile away.
said by sonicmerlin:

I also think it's a great, *great* long-term strategic move for Google. It would take several years to pay off the network and become profitable, but once they did it Google would have a very consistent and profitable revenue stream.

I really don't believe Google wants to be in that business. Google may not have a problem throwing some investment capital around to entice companies to deploy infrastructure, but I truly don't believe Google wants to be a service provider. And I especially don't believe that Google wants to own or maintain the infrastructure.

schemer06

@comcast.net

Not one Comcast city mentiond?

What's the world coming to?
tmc8080

join:2004-04-24
Brooklyn, NY

take me home

west virginia..... in the east.. missouri (kansas city) in the middle....

drum roll.... new mexico in the southwest... ta dah!

antdude
A Ninja Ant
Premium,VIP
join:2001-03-25
kudos:2

Me!

My city please!

MindMazeII
Teksavvy.com
Premium
join:2005-06-12
Brossard, QC

Canada

Come to Canada! Bell needs to die.

r81984
Fair and Balanced
Premium
join:2001-11-14
Katy, TX

The Google

We are the Google.
You will be assimilated.
AlfredNewman

join:2010-03-25
Columbus, OH

Re: The Google

Someone already made a video about that a few years ago, go to Youtube and search for "Epic 2015".

As far as Google possibly deploying in other cities I think its probably on the table but as someone else stated I'm sure Google will be monitoring this deployment for a while to see how things go in the long run.

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