Kal Korff

Google Rolls Out High Speed Internet Access Program

by Kal K. Korff
Internationally Syndicated Copyright 2011 by Kal K. Korff - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Google, the search giant, has begun limited testing of its new ambitious high speed Internet access program it calls Google Fibre. Using fibre optic cables, Google is deploying this kind of digital plumbing in select test areas, based in part on user interest and response. The potential customers in the selected test regions were required to write to Google to explain why they wanted the new service. Google then evaluated what were hundreds of thousands of entries or requests, and selected the winning regions to begin test deployments. The latest region which was chosen is the San Franciso Bay Area. Neighbourhoods of thousands of Internet users were then wired up to the new service for free. In the companys initial tests, as many as 500,000 homes are being serviced. According to Google, the purpose of their program is to build experimental, ultra-high-speed broadband networks. While Google does not provide any real innovation in their approach, replacing phone wires with fiber optic cables automatically speeds data transmission rates. Unlike common metal wire based networks, Fiber optics uses light to transmit information. Theoretically, fiber optics can move data literally at the speed of light since they use photons, which are light. While optical cables certainly speed things up, without proper high speed switches and routers, it doesnt matter how fast the data pipelines are. Google also has another motive for suddenly wanting to wire everyones home with high speed connections. The company already make a television set top box, called Google TV, which has been on

sale since last year. While it has not sold well, the firm is interested not only in piping its offerings to your TV, they also wish to control the very cables you use to surf the Web. In short, Google intends to get into the Internet Service Provider (ISP) business, which may land it in hot water with anti-trust regulators in Washington DC. Google presently controls some 85 per cent of all web search traffic and is by far the dominant player. Giving it a major slice of the ISP and TV markets may be too much for lawmakers and their rivals to stomach. Google, predictably, claims that their potential entry into the ISP and TV markets will spurn competition. The search giant is already under investigation by antitrust officials in Washington DC over driving an increasing amount of Web-based traffic to its expanding portfolio of businesses. Google purchased travel software giant ITA Software for $700 million, sparking U.S. Government lawyers to take action. Last December, Google shelled out $1.9 billion to buy up New York Citys Port Authority fiber optics hub in a move which has increased concerns of fair competition regulators. In the European Union, the firm is now under investigation for its general practices. Google accounts for 95 per cent of all Internet searches in Europe. 1.0v1 Aug 30, 2011 Kal K. Korff is an internationally known author, columnist and investigative journalist.

Copyright 2011 by Kal K. Korff - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this content may be reproduced in any form nor by any means without the express, written consent of Kal Korff. Fair use, does NOT apply. By reading this document, you willingly agree to be legally bound by its terms and conditions. Violators of this policy will have a felony DMCA Copyright infringement notice filed against them with law enforcement. First time offenders may be fined up to $500,000, imprisoned for five years, or both. For repeat offenders, the maximum penalty increases to a fine of $1,000,000, imprisonment for up to ten years, or both. This is a DMCA protected document, illegal copying and/or reproduction of its contents are tracked on the Internet and reported to law enforcement for felony prosecution.

Copyright 2011 by Kal K. Korff - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this content may be reproduced in any form nor by any means without the express, written consent of Kal Korff. Fair use, does NOT apply. By reading this document, you willingly agree to be legally bound by its terms and conditions. Violators of this policy will have a felony DMCA Copyright infringement notice filed against them with law enforcement. First time offenders may be fined up to $500,000, imprisoned for five years, or both. For repeat offenders, the maximum penalty increases to a fine of $1,000,000, imprisonment for up to ten years, or both. This is a DMCA protected document, illegal copying and/or reproduction of its contents are tracked on the Internet and reported to law enforcement for felony prosecution.