Google Announces its Fiber-to-the-Home Experiment
On Feb. 10, search-engine giant Google announced it was launching a fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) experiment to connect between 50,000 and 500,000 U.S. residential users with 1 Gbps Internet service. The announcement came as a surprise to many who thought that after Google’s lackluster success in municipal Wi-Fi in the mid-’00s, the Mountain View, Calif., company would never again dabble in access infrastructure. The announcement and its stated aims suggest, however, that if Google’s endeavors are successful, they could profoundly reshape the U.S. wireline landscape in terms of policy, regulation and even industry structure.
Google’s Experiment Defined
Google’s announcement is very succinct and seemingly explicit, but it also leaves much unsaid. Google rarely announces new products or services before they are market-ready, but in the case of the deployment of an experimental network, of course, this is not possible. As a consequence, Google has been explicit about its goals, but not about how it intends to get there. In addition, Google might be cautious about handing over too much ammunition to established incumbent wireline service providers for whom the initiative represents a clear and present danger.
Wireless Technology Industry in the United States
On Feb. 10, search-engine giant Google announced it was launching a fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) experiment to connect between 50,000 and 500,000 U.S. residential users with 1 Gbps Internet service. The announcement came as a surprise to many who thought that after Google’s lackluster success in municipal Wi-Fi in the mid-’00s, the Mountain View, Calif., company would never again dabble in access infrastructure. The announcement and its stated aims suggest, however, that if Google’s endeavors are successful, they could profoundly reshape the U.S. wireline landscape in terms of policy, regulation and even industry structure.
Google’s Experiment Defined
Google’s announcement is very succinct and seemingly explicit, but it also leaves much unsaid. Google rarely announces new products or services before they are market-ready, but in the case of the deployment of an experimental network, of course, this is not possible. As a consequence, Google has been explicit about its goals, but not about how it intends to get there. In addition, Google might be cautious about handing over too much ammunition to established incumbent wireline service providers for whom the initiative represents a clear and present danger.
Wireless Technology Industry in the United States
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