Google has a really remarkable program for providing cities with high speed internet. Over the next decade, the positive impact on these cities could be huge. See the two articles below.
Here's a related interesting article I ran across. A couple of highlights from this:
Here's a related interesting article I ran across. A couple of highlights from this:
- Google spent 7.3 B (12% of its gross revenues!) on data centers (= server farms) in 2013. Google's 2013 data center spending doubled from what it was in 2012.
- Two of their new builds are in Iowa (a huge wind farm state) and in the Dalles (a big wind farm area in Oregon). This looks to be well thought out for low cost and reliable power in the long run.
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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2014
Exploring new cities for Google Fiber
Over the last few years, gigabit Internet has moved from idea to reality, withdozens of communities (PDF) working hard to build networks with speeds 100 times faster than what most of us live with today. People are hungrier than ever for faster Internet, and as a result, cities across America are making speed a priority. Hundreds of mayors from across the U.S. have stated (PDF) that abundant high-speed Internet access is essential for sparking innovation, driving economic growth and improving education. Portland, Nashville (PDF) and dozens of others have made high-speed broadband a pillar of their economic development plans. And Julian Castro, the mayor of San Antonio, declared in June that every school should have access to gigabit speeds by 2020.
We've long believed that the Internet’s next chapter will be built on gigabit speeds, so it’s fantastic to see this momentum. And now that we’ve learned a lot from our Google Fiber projects in Kansas City, Austin and Provo, we want to help build more ultra-fast networks. So we’ve invited cities in nine metro areas around the U.S.—34 cities altogether—to work with us to explore what it would take to bring them Google Fiber.
We aim to provide updates by the end of the year about which cities will be getting Google Fiber. Between now and then, we’ll work closely with each city’s leaders on a joint planning process that will not only map out a Google Fiber network in detail, but also assess what unique local challenges we might face. These are such big jobs that advance planning goes a long way toward helping us stick to schedules and minimize disruption for residents.
We’re going to work on a detailed study of local factors that could affect construction, like topography (e.g., hills, flood zones), housing density and the condition of local infrastructure. Meanwhile, cities will complete a checklist of items that will help them get ready for a project of this scale and speed. For example, they’ll provide us with maps of existing conduit, water, gas and electricity lines so that we can plan where to place fiber. They’ll also help us find ways to access existing infrastructure—like utility poles—so we don’t unnecessarily dig up streets or have to put up a new pole next to an existing one.
While we do want to bring Fiber to every one of these cities, it might not work out for everyone. But cities who go through this process with us will be more prepared for us or any provider who wants to build a fiber network. In fact, we want to give everyone a boost in their thinking about how to bring fiber to their communities; we plan to share what we learn in these 34 cities, and in the meantime you can check out some tips in a recent guest post on the Google Fiber blog by industry expert Joanne Hovis. Stay tuned for updates, and we hope this news inspires more communities across America to take steps to get to a gig.
We've long believed that the Internet’s next chapter will be built on gigabit speeds, so it’s fantastic to see this momentum. And now that we’ve learned a lot from our Google Fiber projects in Kansas City, Austin and Provo, we want to help build more ultra-fast networks. So we’ve invited cities in nine metro areas around the U.S.—34 cities altogether—to work with us to explore what it would take to bring them Google Fiber.
We aim to provide updates by the end of the year about which cities will be getting Google Fiber. Between now and then, we’ll work closely with each city’s leaders on a joint planning process that will not only map out a Google Fiber network in detail, but also assess what unique local challenges we might face. These are such big jobs that advance planning goes a long way toward helping us stick to schedules and minimize disruption for residents.
We’re going to work on a detailed study of local factors that could affect construction, like topography (e.g., hills, flood zones), housing density and the condition of local infrastructure. Meanwhile, cities will complete a checklist of items that will help them get ready for a project of this scale and speed. For example, they’ll provide us with maps of existing conduit, water, gas and electricity lines so that we can plan where to place fiber. They’ll also help us find ways to access existing infrastructure—like utility poles—so we don’t unnecessarily dig up streets or have to put up a new pole next to an existing one.
While we do want to bring Fiber to every one of these cities, it might not work out for everyone. But cities who go through this process with us will be more prepared for us or any provider who wants to build a fiber network. In fact, we want to give everyone a boost in their thinking about how to bring fiber to their communities; we plan to share what we learn in these 34 cities, and in the meantime you can check out some tips in a recent guest post on the Google Fiber blog by industry expert Joanne Hovis. Stay tuned for updates, and we hope this news inspires more communities across America to take steps to get to a gig.
The following table shows Google Fiber charges in a sample Kansas City county with an 8.5% tax rate (source).
Sample costs are based on 8.5% tax rate. Your actual tax rate might be different.
| Service | Price | Sample Sales Tax | Sample Video Service Provider Fee | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Internet | $0/month | - | - | $0/month |
| Gigabit Internet | $70/month | - | - | $70/month |
| Gigabit + TV | $120/month | $4.25/month | $2.50/month | $126.75/month |
| Video Service Provider Fee (TV customers only) | $2.50/month | $0.21/month | ||
| Construction Fee | $300 paid up front OR $25/month | $25.50 (sales tax) OR $2.13/month (sales tax) | - | $325.50 paid up front OR $27.13/month |
| Each additional TV Box | $120 paid up front OR $5/month | $10.20 (sales tax) OR $0.43/month (sales tax) | - | $130.20 paid up front OR $5.43/month |
| TV packages and video-on-demand purchases | Price varies | 8.5% per item | 5% per item |
*Prices subject to change per region.
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