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davis_squareGoogle has announced it is going to build a real broadband network to test ultra-high speed applications and networks. They intend to provide service to at least 50,000 and possibly up to 500,000 people. It will be a fiber to the home network with speeds over 1 gigabit/second.
That's way, way, way faster than anything commonly considered 'broadband' in the US. It's on par with speeds residential users can get in parts of the most advanced broadband nation in the world - Japan. If you like statistics and want to see how pathetic the broadband situation is in the US, the OECD has a ton of numbers on this topic.
Google is going to build this as an open access network. That means they will own the fiber but they will share access to that fiber with many ISPs. Users will be able to sign up for service with an ISP of their choice, which will then presumably handle all billling and pay Google a share of proceeds for the use of the fiber.
DSL used to be operated in a similar way in the US. That changed when our regulators and legislators rolled over and allowed incumbent telephone companies (Verizon and co) to kill off most of the companies they had to share phone lines with. The incumbents did that largely by pricing the alternative ISPs (CLECs) out of business: they charge them higher wholesale prices than what they charge their own DSL end users.
So, assuming that Google does the right thing with this new fiber (as in, does not undercut or sabotage competitor ISPs that share its fiber), and/or regulators and legislators get the guts and sense to actually enforce open access on all access networks, this announcement is really good news for broadband competition.
Getting back to the point of this post - Google's looking for state, county and city officials who want their communities to participate in this project. Google's also asking non-officials to nominate their communties.
I would love to see Somerville be part of this. If you feel the same way, please join me in nominating Somerville.
Does anyone know who would be the best person at the City to talk to about this? Getting the city of Somerville officially interested would obviously be helpful.
That's way, way, way faster than anything commonly considered 'broadband' in the US. It's on par with speeds residential users can get in parts of the most advanced broadband nation in the world - Japan. If you like statistics and want to see how pathetic the broadband situation is in the US, the OECD has a ton of numbers on this topic.
Google is going to build this as an open access network. That means they will own the fiber but they will share access to that fiber with many ISPs. Users will be able to sign up for service with an ISP of their choice, which will then presumably handle all billling and pay Google a share of proceeds for the use of the fiber.
DSL used to be operated in a similar way in the US. That changed when our regulators and legislators rolled over and allowed incumbent telephone companies (Verizon and co) to kill off most of the companies they had to share phone lines with. The incumbents did that largely by pricing the alternative ISPs (CLECs) out of business: they charge them higher wholesale prices than what they charge their own DSL end users.
So, assuming that Google does the right thing with this new fiber (as in, does not undercut or sabotage competitor ISPs that share its fiber), and/or regulators and legislators get the guts and sense to actually enforce open access on all access networks, this announcement is really good news for broadband competition.
Getting back to the point of this post - Google's looking for state, county and city officials who want their communities to participate in this project. Google's also asking non-officials to nominate their communties.
I would love to see Somerville be part of this. If you feel the same way, please join me in nominating Somerville.
Does anyone know who would be the best person at the City to talk to about this? Getting the city of Somerville officially interested would obviously be helpful.
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no subject
Date: 2010-02-11 01:48 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-02-11 01:48 am (UTC)the day they rollout... mankind has 24 hours. then... skynet goes online :)
that said, bring me the fiber! i want to see the light...
#
no subject
Date: 2010-02-11 02:10 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-02-11 02:11 am (UTC)#
no subject
Date: 2010-02-11 05:44 am (UTC)Call 311
Date: 2010-02-11 01:50 am (UTC)Then ask to be put in Mayor Joe's VM.
no subject
Date: 2010-02-11 02:09 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-02-11 02:20 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-02-11 02:30 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-02-11 02:38 am (UTC)And yes, they should serve the whole city if they want to serve any of it. In my nomination, I mentioned the large immigrant community that may want high-bandwidth connections to their home countries.
no subject
Date: 2010-02-11 02:58 am (UTC)It would make sense for Google to provide their service to the entire city in a test environment and gather useful demographic data. I also agree, it should be the whole city rather than parts of it, as I'd hate to not have a service other people in the same city receive just because of a corporate decision that it won't make as much money doing business that way.
no subject
Date: 2010-02-11 03:18 am (UTC)As to SCAT ... uh ... maybe in a more activist/involved community, community access TV makes sense but SCAT is an embarrassment. The only thing I recall watching of any worth is that strange woman doing the monthly interview show with a weirdly wooden Mike Capuano and long ago a cooking show with a tall Asian guy. Otherwise it is really pathetic, wannabe white "hip hop" fanboyz, Scientology promos, and (for balance I guess...) the wooden woman from 'Democracy Now." A few other feeble attempts (some arts interview thing, etc.).
Community access should not be a condition (even though the costs overall are likely trivial)
no subject
Date: 2010-02-11 03:35 am (UTC)SCAT runs lots of different programming at different times of day -- check their schedule online. If you don't like what they show, go volunteer to help produce something else -- they are open to anyone who lives in Somerville.
(And what is a more 'activist/involved' community than Somerville?)
no subject
Date: 2010-02-11 05:11 am (UTC)A more activist/involved community might be Cambridge (or any borough in NYC).
SCAT is a joke. Sort of negative ferment... (+ community payoff for RCN).
As to my being involved - I am busy with other things and have no interest in learning how to do mass media type stuff. Why don't YOU get involved. You would be great! I would like to see what you might come up with.
no subject
Date: 2010-02-11 05:17 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-02-11 06:46 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-02-11 09:35 pm (UTC)Come to think of it, not sure why there needs to be community TV (or any TV at all) now that we have the internet, except that I guess bandwidth needs to improve.
I saw that announcement...
Date: 2010-02-11 03:07 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-02-11 05:03 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-02-11 02:32 pm (UTC)Also, I'm curious what rationales people put for "Why should Google build a fiber to the home network where you live?"
google in somerville
Date: 2010-02-11 02:40 pm (UTC)Internet services Available
Date: 2010-02-11 02:40 pm (UTC)I love this city
Date: 2010-02-12 03:29 am (UTC)And this evening I got an e-mail from Mayor Joe's assistant, who said the Mayor is equally excited about Google's plans, and - like me - believes Somerville is a really good fit for a new rollout of a fiber network.
He also pointed me to a press release issued today:
http://www.somervillema.gov/NewsDetail.cfm?instance_id=1561
This is really fantastic!
Re: I love this city
Date: 2010-02-12 02:32 pm (UTC)1. Somerville is densely populated. Every mile of fiber would reach thousands of homes.
2. There are already data centers in the Inner Belt, so it would be easy to build out from there.
3. There are 8 rail lines running through Somerville. And, apparently, they already have fiber optic lines running along the tracks (or something like this). (This wasn't totally clear to me. Perhaps this makes it easier for Google to install it's own fiber, or maybe it meant Google could use what is already there.)
no subject
Date: 2010-02-12 04:00 am (UTC)Somerville wants to try out Google internet (there's much more after that paragraph)
no subject
Date: 2010-02-12 05:36 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-02-12 05:41 am (UTC)Google Network
Date: 2010-02-17 03:19 pm (UTC)Join the Facebook Group
Date: 2010-04-01 04:08 am (UTC)