Ultra-Fast 1 Gigabit-Per-Second Google Fiber Internet
Tech giant Google Inc. seeks to diversify further from its original business of internet searching as it launched the ultra-fast 1 gigabit-per-second Google Fiber Internet and Fiber TV service in Kansas City Thursday, promising an access speed of more than 100 times faster than the average internet today. Google says it will cost US$70 a month or US$120 a month bundled with cable TV.
High-speed 1Gbps internet finally available to general consumers?"Gigabit speeds will get rid of these pesky, archaic problems such as loading and waiting, and will open up new possibilities for the Web," said Google's Milo Medin, Vice President for Access Services. He added that one could imagine "instantaneous sharing, truly global education, medical appointments with 3D imaging, or even new industries that we haven't even dreamed of" on Google's fiber network.
Kansas City has long been a market testing hub for major tech companies prior to launching their services nationwide. The project to turn this Midwestern city of about 600,000 into a hub of hyper-fast Internet – called Google Fiber – is expected to yield tangible benefits for the local economy. "We will make Kansas City a place where bandwidth flows like water," said Medin.
Google's business would directly benefit from a faster Web, as it would encourage people to use more of Google's products, such as YouTube and its videoconferencing service Google Hangouts. "The [tech] developers I've talked to, they're ecstatic about this," said Ryan Weber, president of KCnext, a nonprofit that advocates for the Kansas City region's technology sector. "We've gone months waiting to see what this product was going to look like, so there's been a lot of eagerness in the community."
Residents of Kansas city? You're in luck
For US$70 a month, Google Fiber offers an Internet hookup 100 times faster than the average ISP today. It’s speedy enough to download an HD movie in a few seconds and it’s the type of network often called “future proof,” because it’s limited more by the computers sending information than by network speeds. The internet speed is there, but you will need a more powerful computer.
A free plan is also offered, but limits you to 5 Mbps download and 1 Mbps upload speeds, and requires the US$300 construction fee. The free service is guaranteed for at least seven years. That might be good news, just imagine in future we only need to pay the construction fee, and get to use free internet for 7 years.
According to Google, the connection uploads is just as fast as its downloads, which is both rare and essential for companies or individuals that work with large amounts of data. Telemedicine, the practice of doctors treating patients remotely over an Internet connection, is one such area, and the Google Fiber project could potentially turn Kansas City into a center for that industry. Telemedicine is considered one potential way to greatly reduce the cost of medical treatment.
How soon will gigabit internet spread to the world?
Kansas City beat out more than 1,100 other cities to win the Google project. The company said the enthusiasm of residents won it over. Fast Internet speeds are potentially so important for the economic future that residents of another city, Leverett in Massachusetts, voted in June to finance a similar project, even though it will raise property taxes there by approximately 6 percent.
The Kansas City project will also highlight the fact that average Internet speeds in the U.S. lag far behind those in European and Asian cities. The U.S. ranks 13th in average network speed according to Akamai’s “State of the Internet” report, behind South Korea, Hong Kong, Latvia, Romania, Denmark, and others.
"Access is the next frontier that needs to be opened," Google Chief Financial Officer Patrick Pichette said. "We're going to do it profitably. That is our plan. We are at a crossroad," he added, noting that Internet speeds had leveled out for broadband since around 2000. "We at Google we believe there is no need to wait."
New major breakthrough since broadband internet in 2000?
The currently market is dominated by Time Warner Cable Inc, which charges US$99.95 a month for its fastest Internet service. Even then, Google Fiber would be 20 times faster. Time Warner spokesman Justin Venech said the company had a "robust and adaptable network" and welcomed the competition.
Residents near Kansas city can sign up Google Fiber at http://fiber.google.com
SOURCE : http://www.reuters.com/
