Comment by rhino369 | Hacker News Reader

Comment by rhino369 | Hacker News Reader

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I disagree. I think it's pretty clear that Google fiber is an attempt to create demand for faster residential connections and provide a model for ISPs to do it.

If Google wanted to come at Comcast, they'd be gearing up a lot faster than they are. At this point Google Fiber is mostly FttPR-Fiber to the Press Release. And also, I don't think any of the first several Google Fiber locations were even in Comcast territory. So far AT&T and TWC have been their competitors.

They want to create demand because Google loves remote computing and loves internet consumption.

Google is providing a model for the ISPs by forcing local communities to deregulate their ISP franchising system. Before Google Fiber, each town or state would take a pound of flesh from the new company trying to lay down a network. Google made the cities bend over backwards.

This is exactly it, and it was their stated intention from the beginning.

https://gigaom.com/2010/02/10/google-doesnt-want-to-be-an-is...

A press release seems to be all it takes for local incumbents to shape up. Faced with even the threat of competition, AT&T and TWC will pump up their speeds and service in a given area. It's quite transparent.

I believe this is correct. Google Chrome, Android, & Chromecast (kinda); Google has learned that influencing the lowest controllable tier is worthwhile.

I agree with most of this except for the bit about any of the first locations being in Comcast territory. I'm a Google Fiber subscriber in Provo, UT. Before Google got here I was on Comcast.

Our cap was 50 Mbit which wasn't bad, but then when Google came in, Comcast upped that plan to 250 Mbit with no hardware upgrades or anything for the same price which was really nice.

The main thing I noticed though is that reliability with Google is a lot higher. My Comcast connection would go down for an hour or two about once a week, but my fiber connection seems to always be fine.

As far as cities bending over backwards, Provo definitely did that. We had put in a citywide fiber network using a $40 million bond and then ended up selling it to Google for $1. It was definitely the best move considering the company that had been operating it before defaulted on their payments, but Provo will still be paying for the network for 12 years.

I'm in a Kansas City suburb, using Comcast, and just about to sign up for Google Fiber. So Google is definitely showing up where Comcast has a presence.

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