Google Fiber May Be Coming To Portland (Beaverton, Hillsboro: apartment, home)

[jjpop]

Looks like one change last year in Provo is that Comcast started offering much higher speeds (250/50 Mbps) for the same price ($70 per month). Still doesn't beat the proposed 1 Gbps of Google, but goes to show that in this case competition is better for the consumer.

Google Fiber now faces Comcast's 250 Mbps offering in Provo - FierceTelecom

[Steve Pickering]

But Comcast serves about 1,000,000 in the area and Google serves under 5,000

[khyron]

I can't understand the "not in our lifetime" claim at all, or the pessimism. First of all, hell yes it's a call to badger city hall because that's how Kansas City got theirs and that's how we'll have to get ours if we want it. Second, there's nothing in any of the reports on this anywhere online about it being a "limited corridor" (in up to five suburbs?) or not being intended for residential use. Third, it's pretty short-sighted to make any claims that anyone somehow "knows" where broadband access will be in the USA in another decade. Will it still be way behind South Korea and a bunch of other places? Sure. But will this whole fiasco-era of last mile BS still even be relevant? It's entirely possible that it won't be. Just take a look at where wireless technologies for pushing bits around were ten years ago. Try to imagine where they could be ten years from now. Someday it's entirely possible that worrying about having a cable or DSL or fiber connection will be as uninteresting to the common consumer as worrying about having a copper landline telephone is today.

There are no certainties except that people really, really, really hate these monolithic ISPs and the crap they put us all through. Once we finish abandoning cable TV for the web and set top boxes, we're all going to start thinking more critically about where we get the feed for those devices from, and whether it's being monkeyed with, and whether we're being ripped off for it. Wireless last mile technologies could seriously disrupt that decision.

[Steve Pickering]

You are not looking in the right places. It may be a Geek's dream, but it is not at this time likely to ever be a reality. The city can't afford to fix potholes, let alone build out a fiber network that is a Google pipe dream. Maybe more pipe than it should be (wink, wink).

I use broadcast TV. If you don't like the monolithic giants, don't use them.

[jjpop]

Originally Posted by khyron

There are no certainties except that people really, really, really hate these monolithic ISPs and the crap they put us all through.

Totally agree. And frankly, Google is a giant too (not unlike Comcast), but I would much rather choose between two giants than have only one option.

Originally Posted by khyron

Once we finish abandoning cable TV for the web and set top boxes, we're all going to start thinking more critically about where we get the feed for those devices from, and whether it's being monkeyed with, and whether we're being ripped off for it.

My story--I abandoned cable TV years ago. Did fine on DVD rentals and checkouts from the library for a long time, and now I happily pay Netflix, Apple, and Amazon for the shows that I want to watch rather than the dreck that fills the cable stations. I am very content with my connection speed now, so I'm hoping that the competition results in lower bills. And not to get too preachy, but I'm happy to not be a consumer of the junk on cable, particularly the 24-hour news networks that people seem to love (why?).

[pdxMIKEpdx]

At this point, all Portland is being requested to do is to identify areas that may pose problems with existing utilities.

They are not being asked to fund, or build the network..............yet.

[YaB]

Originally Posted by bler144

Given the way infrastructure is treated in this country (privately owned and developed, even if with subsidy), that's not really a viable option. I'm not even sure what infrastructure CenturyLink is using, but whatever it is ain't good.

Frontier FIOS is available in some areas in WashCo, but I don't think it's available in the city proper.

Even if Google is looking at Portland, Fiber is not coming tomorrow and it's certainly not going to be available for everyone any time in the near future. They've been working on K.C. (at one point their only site) for over 3 years now and it's still nowhere near complete.

I'd be curious how local competitors changed pricing as Google has expanded [in that market].

I believe that what Google has projected is great news and as bler144 has mentioned that at one point, Kansas City was the only city that Google was working on the fiber infrastructure. I'm surprised that amount of cities that Google have listed, will potentially have fiber available by Google.

I agree with bler144 that the Fiber in cities such as Portland, will not be available for everyone anytime in the near future. Most states and large companies are taking advantage of dark fiber (fiber that have been implemented years ago, but not being utilized), but aren't being used for the general home users. What Google is implementing is great, but it will take some time to see the the full potential.

[OHW]

ANYTHING to start chipping away at Comcast, I am on board with.

[Steve Pickering]

Originally Posted by OHW

ANYTHING to start chipping away at Comcast, I am on board with.

Why?

[Minervah]

Maybe they are jumping the gun but the news people are all talking as if it were going to mean Portlanders are going to get Google cable service if Google decides they are going to move here. That is the entire metro.

As for me, as I have mentioned before, I'm doing fine without it. They would have to make me a really good offer I couldn't refuse in order to ever get cable back. I used to be a Comcast supporter but the last couple of years I had them they gave me nothing but grief, bad service and raised prices. At one time, you could call and talk to a person without a heavy accent from who-knows-where, negotiate service and fees and even talk to a human being in person at their office. When that ended and they continued to add to my bill for little "extras" for which I never asked, I decided it was all over.