Google Fiber problems become more evident
Yael T. AbouhalkahWith two weeks to go to register for Google Fiber service, some questions about the well-publicized initiative are crystallizing with more Kansas Citians.
Yes, the digital divide that people thought was out there really exists: People in low-income neighborhoods in Kansas City and Kansas City, Kan., aren’t signing up for faster Internet service. And that’s despite aggressive publicity and the fact Google is offering a pretty low-cost version of its service to people.
Yes, Google is concerned that people pledging $10 to register for Google Fiber ultimately won’t buy it for $120 a month. That could drain Google of precious funds when it routes fiber to a neighborhood where people don’t really want it.
And remember that Google pledge to provide “free” service to several hundred public buildings? It may not come true, at least to the extent once promised, if people in neighborhoods around these buildings don’t sign up for Google Fiber.
The reality is that - as enticing as Google Fiber sounds to the affluent among us and to tech heads - not everyone wants it or thinks they need it. That’s become evident in the month after Google kicked off its venture to determine interest in the service.
Another reality is that Google could very well carry out its pledge (threat?) to install the fiber only in “fiberhoods” that have a certain number of people sign up by the Sept. 9 deadline.
If that happens, the service could very well reach tens of thousands of people - but not nearly as many as once had been hoped. And if some of the public buildings are excluded, not just now but for years into the future, that could really devalue the Google initiative in the minds of many.
Of course, Google is a private company, in this to make a buck. It may have great intentions to expand the service to, say, Johnson County’s largest cities in the future, where many more customers exist.
The trial run in Kansas City and Kansas City, Kan., will give Google a good road map to follow when it offers their high-speed Internet in other cities.
If something changes dramatically between now and Sept. 9, Google may have a more positive story to tell in the end. But at least so far, the plan doesn’t appear to be working out to benefit enough residents in Kansas City, Kan., and Kansas City.
Jesse Laird
9 months agoBuild it and they will come.
Kurt Battles
9 months agoMany in our poorest neighborhoods don’t have Internet connectivity, or a computer. This is like the printing press, the poor didn’t have books, nor could they read. This is a really big deal, what is the fair-market value of the car I am trying to buy from a buy-here pay-here lot? Can I learn how to fix my car? Who is my Senator and how do I contact them? A smart phone isn’t really a computer. We have a lot more to do than meets the eye.
Jack N Fran Farrell
8 months, 4 weeks agoWhile Google has three-dimensional renderings of almost every multi-family residence in its fiberhoods it still can’t map names to apartments to $10 payments. It seems like Google just needs to extend the period for fiberhoods where its data was lacking.
Francisco TheDoctor Clase
8 months, 4 weeks agoThe answer here is simple. starts with “New” end with york. (NYSE:TWC) time warner cable charges 100 dollars for 50 MBPS., google does 1000 for $70.00. If kansas city won’t bite. hey google bought a building in new york in 2010 with central fiber line lets go.
Kent Mueller
8 months, 4 weeks agoPeople that know me know that I am very pro private sector. But this whole google situation amazes me.
google is a private company, not a governmental entity. It’s not even a utility. But people are clamoring to promote this company’s services. Politicians, using their elected office are promoting a private sector business at the expense of other private sector businesses.
google fiber may be amazing, but google should be marketing their services on their own dime. Elected politicians have no place in marketing private sector services.
If google fiber is as wonderful as it is billed, then google will get the marketshare they earn. google is simply holding one neighborhood hostage to get an immediate marketshare in another. They have played the public and the media for their own benefit.
Why should the public guarantee google a minimum marketshare before they deliver? No one else gets that. They can absorb the cost of product risk like any other company. Let’s say a company develops an ice cream that contains no fat, no calories, nothing bad. It tastes wonderful and has a very long shelf life. It actually more nutritional than fruits and vegetables. It is environmentally friendly. It costs less than half of regular ice cream.A great product, right? But, would everyone be trying to market that new product? Of course not. So, why is everyone helping google?
Tyler Smith
8 months, 4 weeks agoKent, I like Runza, but it only built 1 and it’s in JoCo. Just because I want Runza’s often, doesn’t mean they have to build one right next to where I live. I’m sure they studied the market and they built the 1 KC Runza where Runza was wanted. Should they be made to build 1 wherever someone wants 1?
And once in a while, someone brings me one of their sandwiches, helping Runza sell more by basically delivering for them. Why would someone do that? Runza should deliver on their own.
Kent Mueller
8 months, 4 weeks agoTyler, I’m not sure what your point is. The mayor of OP didn’t advertise for Runza before they opened, as well shouldn’t have. However, the mayor of KC, MO used his office as mayor to make a video to go on googles website to promote people doing business with google. That is wrong.
Someone doing something nice for you is not the same thing as people actively trying to sell a company’s service. It is a free country, and people (non elected officials) can do what they want. But google has conned the public on all of this.
Erik Ka
8 months, 4 weeks agoThey should just install it in Kansas, since they said they would. I really don’t understand why they didn’t ask for sign ups from the entire United States and pick the cities with the most votes. I really like the idea too, the US is way behind in internet speeds. Internet speed hasn’t been improving while technology is, and this is because internet companies don’t want to spent money upgrading the infrastructure. They can charge the same amount without having to improve their speeds, no competition.
Erik Ka
8 months, 4 weeks agoI’m not sure if you understand how fast 1000MB per second is and how much better it is than what is available from our internet service providers right now. Over here in California, I can get 31MB per second for the price they are charging for 1000MB. With 1000MB per second, a business or home could run a ridiculous amount of things on their network and they all will load instantly. Communication will be instant. This is the same thing that is putting pressure on Apple to innovate that their Android operating system created. It’s pressure of competition. The internet companies will have to be competitive and will have to upgrade their service for us. It already started to pressure them:
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-08-27/time-warner-cable-boosts-new-york-speeds-as-google-project-looms
Competition is good. The internet companies should be keeping their services up to date. If you look it up the United States is ranked 12th in the world in internet speed.
Kent Mueller
8 months, 3 weeks agoErika, that all may be true. I’m not disputing you. But the government has no right to promote a private business like this. If the product is that good, it will sell without the government being involved.
Jeremiah Sherrill
8 months, 3 weeks agoKent, I disagree with you. I don’t think you quite understand how important communication is. Connectivity is the future of this country whether you like it or not. I also don’t think you realize just how much business and money will be brought into KC due to Google Fiber. KC will become the next Silcon Valley. We are talking billions of dollars in tax revenue.
If I was a wealthy man, I would be buying up quite a bit of property as close to the current initial installation area as possible.