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> Or is Google's level of involvement that they have paid for an ad in the SSID?

They're paying for the increased speeds in exchange for the ad, yes. It seems pretty clear to me that Google wants to brand itself with the word 'fast'. This goes as far back as the original Chrome commercials. I think it's rather smart.

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> It seems pretty clear to me that Google wants to brand itself with the word 'fast'.

And it's rather peculiar that we all associate AT&T with 'mediocre' thanks to their Starbucks wifi sponsorship.

I've actually never thought of AT&T as 'mediocre' because of a Starbucks relationship. I view them as 'mediocre' due to a decade of terrible, unreliable, and spotty cellular service. It's amazing what service we'll put up with just because all of our friends and family are using that same provider.

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