Is Google Fiber worth it?

[kodiak799]

I think its only going to have an effect where is available. Most people that worry about internet speed already know that the prices and speeds available in the US are far worse that just about any other developed country. I don't see that changing anytime soon unless there is a nationwide fiber boom.

Most, if not all, countries with better internet speed and prices are much smaller and more densely populated. That infrastructure cost is a fraction of what it takes in the US.

Wireless has some issues to work through, but the way things are going I don't think it makes sense to make every last mile fiber. I think the US will mostly skip fiber "to the home" and focus on the backbone/backhaul capacity with homes connecting wirelessly.

 

[Ollie]

I only have one choice where I live if you rule out satellite companies. Google Fiber will never come to my neck of the woods. We are on the verge of cutting the cable for television and just running with an Internet package.

 

[kodiak799]

Also, the govt just hauled in $45 BILLION from its latest wireless spectrum auction. I'm not sure that happens in some of these other countries...and that $45B gets passed on to you, the consumer.

And that's just the entry fee. That doesn't even include the actual infrastructure cost which runs into the tens of billions.

 

[loki993]

I only have one choice where I live if you rule out satellite companies. Google Fiber will never come to my neck of the woods. We are on the verge of cutting the cable for television and just running with an Internet package.

Most people only have one choice that's exactly the problem.

 

[pc747]

Most people only have one choice that's exactly the problem.

Unfortunately that is the case in many areas where you either choose Comcast or hopefully go with some phone company internet that makes comcast seem like it is blazing in comparison. Unfortunately in many rural areas that will probably be the slowest to change if not ever. But hopefully we can begin to shake up the status quo and inspire competition. But Competition also means change. We all want the super high speeds and the strong connections but we do not want the towers (NIMBY). Particularly in the rural areas people do not want the beauty of trees and nature to be replaced with towers, wires, and Google huts. And I understand why someone who have lived at a certain place for generations would not want the land their family worked for taken over by governments and corporations. Until we get to a point where we can use satellite technology to push high speed data over the airways while not microwaving the people below we are stuck with having to run wires and have towers to push out the information. So to those that live in the small rural towns are you willing to deal with that and are you neighbors willing to deal with it?

 

[Ollie]

They could put their connex box on my property. I wouldn't see it. Maybe I can lease them a small box sized area of land

 

[Yellowhammer]

Satellite will NEVER be a mainstream solution. The latency is horrendous.