Google Fiber coming to Austin (West, Combine: renting, price, vs)

[OpenD]

Originally Posted by atxcio

On the same day that Google Fiber is announced for Austin, AT&T counters by saying they are bringing gigabit to Austin as well:

Oops! Some industry analysts are saying the AT&T bid could kill the Google plan completely. Contractually AT&T has the most "interesting" parts of Austin sewed up already. Google could decide that what's left isn't worth it.

Keep in mind, this is not a core business for Google, the way it is for AT&T.

[scm53]

Originally Posted by OpenD

Contractually AT&T has the most "interesting" parts of Austin sewed up already. Google could decide that what's left isn't worth it.

Perhaps you know something I don't know, but if Google is announcing this along with the city, who grants utility franchises, there won't be any geographic restrictions inside Austin, as to where they can and can't serve.

From looking at their videos, it seems a bigger problem will be getting fiber to the house in neighborhoods with underground utilities. The videos show fiber coming off utility poles, a much simpler (and less expensive) proposition than running fiber under streets, sidewalks, and driveways. Maybe they have some method to do this already - not like if I think of it, they haven't. But I have to think they go for the low hanging fruit first.

Also see a problem at my house. They show a fiber cable inside the house, from the junction box outside to a "Google Jack" inside (think cable modem), which then goes to coax to the rooms. My house is pre wired with coax from the outside to a distribution panel in a closet. No way to get fiber to that interior wall. They must have thought that through as well. But yet another point towards older homes and neighborhoods first.

[Idlewile]

Originally Posted by OpenD

Keep in mind, this is not a core business for Google, the way it is for AT&T.

Reason enough not support AT&T.

If you can't excel in your core business while others knock it out the park with something that's not even their main product you need to, at the very least, re-visit best practices 101.

[scm53]

Originally Posted by OpenD

Oops! Some industry analysts are saying the AT&T bid could kill the Google plan completely.

Link please.

Here is what one "industry analyst" is saying:

The other oddity in all of this is just how much this press release makes AT&T look bad. Beyond the petty "hey, give us what Google got" statement, this press release more or less confirms exactly the message that AT&T has been trying to deny for years: that when there's real competition, then AT&T will invest in making a better service. Without the competition, AT&T is happy to provide crappy service.

Goes on to say it may be nothing but a negotiating ploy by AT&T to renogiate their franchise agreement to match Google's terms without actually delivering the new speeds.

[mark311]

Originally Posted by scm53

Also see a problem at my house. They show a fiber cable inside the house, from the junction box outside to a "Google Jack" inside (think cable modem), which then goes to coax to the rooms. My house is pre wired with coax from the outside to a distribution panel in a closet. No way to get fiber to that interior wall. They must have thought that through as well. But yet another point towards older homes and neighborhoods first.

Some of us would welcome paying $1000 towards fiber installation to our homes for this type of speed at the stated monthly prices that Kansas City is paying. I'd do whatever was needed to get it going.

After going to the link below, I'm almost starting to tear up a bit. A Google provided 2TB NAS box ("Storage Box") that I assume backs up to Google Drive Cloud Storage (fast!). Bluetooth pairing to your TVs through the TV Box. Streaming video and audio of your OWN files from the NAS box to ANY device in your home.

This is ridiculous (in a good way) if everything works the way that it's supposed to. At this point, this isn't a service for just the person looking for a "cheaper option than TWC or Uverse". This is for people like myself that have built HTPC boxes in order to get this type of functionality on ONE TV in the house, let alone have it on every device. Anyone with a QNAP, Synology, or DROBO NAS at home right now is pretty much drooling over this (even the Buffalo NAS people).

https://fiber.google.com/about/

[Trainwreck20]

One of the reason Google is coming to town (according to 'industry experts') is to force the current big providers (AT&T, TWC, etc) to upgrade their infrastructure. If Google were to do pull out, I expect AT&T might run into some sudden delays that put off upgraded fiber for many years.

Also, although AT&t does have contracts with many UVerse users (myself included), GF would not be available for another year, at which time almost all the initial UVerse contracts will be completed and probably a on month-to-month plan (as we will be in two more months). So, in that sense, AT&T does not have any area 'sewn up' any more than TWC did when UVerse came to town.

Edit: after reading the posts above, I will have to admit that I am not exactly GF's tafget market. Our current internet speed is not an issue (~15 mbs) and I would not pay more for faster speed just for the sake of speed; however, I would enjoy seeing prices come down as AT&T tries to keep customers.

As far as AT&T waiting until there was competition - well, duh, I can't blame them for not spending money that would not necessarily make them any money. And it is a good point, if the city is handing out 'expedited permitting', then it is only fair to offer it to others. Otherwise, it is the government subsidizing a specific company (ala TWC?).

[EzPeterson]

Originally Posted by OpenD

I have just read a few things that seem to point to the possibility that AT&T might gear up to fight Google in Austin. AT&T has a large investment in keeping a dominant position in the market, and they have contracts with the city that they must also see as valuable.

Remember though, Google's stated goal with this product launch is to bring other carriers in to fight them, so that the public benefits (and begins to use the internet for everything, so that Google can track it ALL and advertise in ways we can't even begin to realize).

AT&T coming in is EXACTLY what Google wants to have happen. They want Grande to get in the mix to.

[riaelise]

TWC is the leader here, not AT&T. I'm interested to see how they'll follow up. What I hope to get is faster speed and lower prices out of the deal. I'm not ashamed to say that I am the regular user who basically uses the internet for casual purposes.

[mark311]

Also in the fine print for Google Fiber is "no data caps"!!!!!

And I agree that this is really an experiment by Google to push the limits of all the providers. But, no data caps is what will really be a driving force that the tech community will get behind. For a while there, it was looking bleak when TWC was implementing data caps and installing data usage meters. Comcast is still running data cap limit tests in certain cities from what I understand. I think that stomping out data caps is a big reason that Google is doing this experiment.

[austin-steve]

Just another good reason to live in Austin.