I’ve long maintained that Google isn’t in the ISP business for the long haul. I said over four years ago that the odds of your city seeing it were astronomically low. Well, now Google is basically saying the same thing. The CEO announced that they have halted expansion of the network, let… Continue reading
I’m constantly amused when people project their ideal of an ISP onto Google. After abandoning open access, shutting up on net neutrality, and gorging themselves on handouts, you’d think we’d all be a little bit wiser about how this company operates. It comes as no surprise, then, that Google is… Continue reading
There’s a lot of talk about Google Fiber bringing competition to the marketplace, but I think it’s a lot of smoke and mirrors. In reality, Google is very good at leveraging its brand to cover up many plays it’s pulling straight out of the incumbent playbook. In the end, they’re… Continue reading
Still thinking that Google Fiber is your only gigabit option in SLC? Think again. I’ve heard from several reliable sources that Salt Lake City got on Google’s short list for a new round of expansion because of fears that UTOPIA would beat them to the punch (and possibly go into… Continue reading
This article is cross-posted at Beehive Startups. Salt Lake City just can’t seem to make up its mind on broadband. Given the chance to join UTOPIA in 2004, Mayor Rocky Anderson turned down the offer citing “risk [to] taxpayers’ money”. His successor, Mayor Ralph Becker, similarly waffled, giving a response… Continue reading
There’s not a lot of details out about the proposed public-private partnership between UTOPIA and Macquarie, but it’s already looking like Provo’s deal with Google Fiber is about as raw as I thought it is. Here’s a breakdown of how the two deals differ: UTOPIA/Macquarie iProvo/Google Contract length 30 years… Continue reading
Competition is good, and Comcast is just now proving it. I spoke with one of their sales guys who confirmed that Comcast will be offering a package of 250Mbps/50Mbps for $70 starting in September, but only in Provo. (Sorry, everywhere else.) This is in direct response to Google Fiber coming… Continue reading
It’s no secret I’ve soured on Google Fiber, and I was pretty loud in saying that Provo wasn’t making a very good deal with the advertising giant for iProvo. They threw open access under the bus. They killed the prospect of public-private partnerships. They gave businesses the cold shoulder. Now… Continue reading
I suppose this kind of response to the Google Fiber announcement was inevitable, just as it’s completely false assumptions are. The author gets a number of predictable things wrong. [A]nd finally Provo will be out of the Telcom business. No, it won’t. It’s still paying for the bond, it has… Continue reading
If your neighbor won the lottery, would you quit your job right then because you’re certain that your ticket is going to pay off next? Of course you wouldn’t. Unfortunately, a lot of people are taking that same kind of attitude with regards to broadband. Even before Google announced that… Continue reading