Google exec sees Google Fiber as a 'moneymaker'
Source: sfp-xfp poflink
Date: 2013/06/24
Google exec sees Google Fiber as a 'moneymaker'
Google Fiber head Milo Medin says the company is not just conducting an expensive research project in Kansas City and other places getting the technology. He expects the gigabit fiber networks to make money.
After 2 months, Google confirmed the worst-kept secret in fiber to the home (FTTH): that it will bring its symmetrical 1-Gbps Google Fiber offering to Austin, TX.
(How badly kept was it? Gig.U issued a release yesterday under embargo congratulating Austin and Google on the announcement that hadn’t been made yet. Naturally, someone didn’t honor the embargo － which led to some furious backpedaling on Gig.U's part.)
The effort will launch in earnest in 2014, with Google planning to offer Austin “fiberhoods” the opportunity to sign up by the middle of the year. Home connections should begin shortly thereafter, Google says.
The roll out and the services offered should mirror Google Fiber in Kansas City. That means three tiers of service, with the connection fee waived for two of the three; for the price of the connection fee, customers can get “free” Internet access for “at least” seven years, albeit at data rates of 5 Mbps downstream/1 Mbps upstream (see "Google Fiber open for business"). Google says it hasn’t yet settled on what it will charge for these services in Austin, but promised that prices will be “roughly similar” to those levied in Kansas City.
In addition, Google will connect anchor institutions such as schools, libraries, and hospitals to its network. It also promised to create an offering for small businesses.
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