Google Fiber coming to Austin (Dallas: shop, rated, deal)

[Trainwreck20]

If it is a public/private partnership that involves the city laying out big funds, I can't say I am really for it anyway, and I live in the COA. If it is the city providing ROW or other support, I am fine with that. Not sure what your issue/point is?

[austin-steve]

Originally Posted by EzPeterson

...

Now, for someone that streams all their TV (Hulu, Netflix, mlb.tv, etc.), uses a VOIP phone and is a heavy internet user or runs a small business from their house - this is a fantastic deal.

...

That describes my situation exactly. I don't even have a cable box. We only get the basic cable because I'm in some weird pocket where the HD antenna doesn't work. The only TV I watch live is network sports, and some news. My teenage daughters don't even understand the concept of "live" TV, where you have to be in front of the TV at an assigned time each week. My younger one (age 16) calls it "stupid". That's where TV is headed. On demand via Internet. I just finished MadMen season 5 in 1 week on NetFlix. I'm willing to wait for season 6, I don't need to buy expensive cable TV.

TWC Internet I have, which I will admit is reliable from an uptime perspective, does not provide the advertised speed I pay for, which is the TurboBoost. I get faster speedtest.net specs at my neighborhood coffee shop WiFi.

Here is an interesting site regard internet speeds worldwide: Net Index by Ookla - Household Download Index for United States

The US is ranked 33rd worldwide with a rolling mean average 16.93 Mbps. Texas is 33rd in the US, at 15.03 Mbps. I average about 8-12 Mbps at home though I pay for 20.

Steve

[ImOnFiya]

Originally Posted by Trainwreck20

If it is a public/private partnership that involves the city laying out big funds, I can't say I am really for it anyway, and I live in the COA. If it is the city providing ROW or other support, I am fine with that. Not sure what your issue/point is?

What I said which you commented on! Next..

[EzPeterson]

Originally Posted by ImOnFiya

Attention suburban people: Google fiber will only be coming to neighborhoods within the Austin city limits for the foreseeable future.

If this round of Google Fiber installation has anything to do with public/private partnership, Republican leadership in those cities probably are going to have some problem ponying up taxpayer funds. After all, we are in the Republican House "kill all government" era known as the Sequester.

Just curious what you're basing this on? Considering that the cities don't lay out actually funds, but ROW and access, I'm not sure you have a factual basis for this.

Add in the heavy concentration of tech employees and companies in those "suburban" areas, then couple that with the fact that it's already expanding to residential areas in Olathe, KS and, well, it appears that all you're doing is what?

[ImOnFiya]

Originally Posted by EzPeterson

Just curious what you're basing this on? Considering that the cities don't lay out actually funds, but ROW and access, I'm not sure you have a factual basis for this.

Add in the heavy concentration of tech employees and companies in those "suburban" areas, then couple that with the fact that it's already expanding to residential areas in Olathe, KS and, well, it appears that all you're doing is what?

Every article on Google News mentions "Google and the city of Austin". I don't see Round Rock, Cedar Park, Leander, Georgetown, Lakeway, Kyle or Buda. Do you have an exclusive to tell the world where else in Texas Google Fiber is heading..?

[AustinGuy]

Originally Posted by austin-steve

TWC Internet I have, which I will admit is reliable from an uptime perspective, does not provide the advertised speed I pay for, which is the TurboBoost. I get faster speedtest.net specs at my neighborhood coffee shop WiFi.
Steve

You should have them send a tech out. I ordered their 30Mbps service, and I still was only getting their normal speed service for over 6 months. I had to make multiple complaint calls about it, and they finally sent a tech out who realized I needed a different modem to make it work. Now I get 30Mbps all the time.

[EzPeterson]

Originally Posted by ImOnFiya

Every article on Google News mentions "Google and the city of Austin". I don't see Round Rock, Cedar Park, Leander, Georgetown, Lakeway, Kyle or Buda. Do you have an exclusive to tell the world where else in Texas Google Fiber is heading..?

No, I have common sense that tells you that like all telecom innovations and services, this will radiate outward to areas based on demand and ease of facilitation.

[mayfair44]

The FREE offer is actually quite compelling for the masses:

Up to 5Mbps download, 1Mbps upload speed • No data caps • Free service guaranteed for at least 7 years • Includes Network Box
$300 construction fee (one time or 12 monthly payments of $25) + taxes and fees

So given $300 + tax/fees, let's say $350 total one time up front fee:

7 yrs= 84 mos

$350/84mos= $4.17/mo

$350/7yrs= $50/yr

Not bad for many, as in most, that simply access, surf and never stream.

[Blackfield]

Google Fiber is NOT about TV service, it is about having a huge bandwidth in comparison to the existing bandwidth offered by other companies.

TV service that is delivered with Google Fiber is only a by product of having a huge bandwidth.
One benefit that you can immediately see with Google Fiber is that you can record up to 8 channels at the same time.

Why the existing companies can't/won't do this? You guess it, because they are limited by the bandwidth .
If you think that the current HD channels' quality are good enough, then more power to you.

Existing TV services compresses their channels in order to save bandwidth. This results in lower picture & sound quality. And yes, this includes HD channels.
Woooaaaa, but I don't care/need the ability to record 8 channels at the same time and I also don't care about the quality.
Again, you are missing the point.

Think how ancient a modem is now after broadband. As we handle more complex information, data will become larger and larger.
Having a huge bandwidth opens up many new possibilities.

1. With the advent of 3D printing, what if companies sell the digital blueprint of their products, so customers can download and print their product at their home.
2. HD quality video & sound for people to communicate & collaborate all over the world.
3. Medical, perhaps one day, we can share our bio data (e.g. DNA, detail scan of our organs, hell detail scan of our entire body) to doctors/labs all over the world for further analysis.
4. Many of them are things that we have not thought of.

Investing on the infrastructure today will prepare us for tomorrow.

[scm53]

Originally Posted by ImOnFiya

... Republican leadership in those cities ...

Wow. I missed the party primaries for city council elections. When did those happen?