[olug] Google Fiber home Internet sevice RFI

Phil Brutsche phil at brutsche.us
Thu Feb 18 03:18:26 UTC 2010


I seriously doubt that's what they mean by an open network.

Google wants the job of the telco - provide the physical connectivity,
let others provide internet access. In that context, "open network"
means Google will freely let Cox, Qwest, Internet Nebraska, or anyone
else who asks, have access to their fiber to connect their equipment. It
*does not* mean John Smith across the street from you can do whatever
they want with the connectivity they derive from that fiber.

Plus, gigabit speeds only means gigabit to the ISP. That doesn't mean
the ISP can give you gigabit to the rest of the world, nor does it mean
that the "content providers" out there on the 'net can feed you their
content at gigabit speeds.

Dan Linder wrote:
> To me that implies that you won't get shut down for sharing your WiFi
> with friends and neighbors, or hosting a web/mail server in your home.
>  Imagine if the radio companies of the 20's had clamped down on
> homebrew experimentation?  Imagine what a smart high-school kid with a
> bit of electrical and programming prowess could do if he wanted to
> setup a wireless network with his friend a few blocks away.  Today his
> parents would be afraid he'd get them black-listed from their ISP.
> With a truly open access network, not only could he experiment like
> this, but he might just invent something useful.
>
> And with Gigabit speeds, we'd finally start to realize true InternetTV
> and services such as NetFlix could offer very high-quality on-demand
> shows.  It would also open up the TeleCo promise (made 50+ years ago)
> of a true VideoPhone technology.  No more pixelated and jerky video
> when the neighbors kid starts viewing a video from YouTube.

-- 

Phil Brutsche
phil at brutsche.us



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