Wednesday, September 15, 2010
OK, I have to be the first to admit it. After all this talk about privatization, capitalism, and the ingenuity of profit-driven enterprise: government beats the private sector in the race to the 1 Gbps broadband. Google had everyone clamoring to get access to their ultra-fast broadband speeds with the launch of their Google Fiber for Communities initiative. And, it's not as though the demand has ended. But, the intriguing fact is that Google lost the race... or did they?

What was Google's ultimate goal in this initiative? To be the sole provider of a new break-through speed of broadband? I could hardly imagine that, nor could they. Of course, one goal has to be acknowledged as the shear PR traction they're getting. But, aside from that, the altruistic side of the corporate super-giant is clear: to create action. The initiative was designed to create demand--a general dissatisfaction with the status-quo--and thereby generate a new paradigm in broadband.

Guess what. They did. Chattanooga's announcement of their 1 Gbps broadband service, which will service a 600-square mile community and service ~170,000 homes, is a victory of Google's drive--not to mention the countless other voices crying for innovation. Google is not bemoaning this as a loss. If anything, they can at least cross one of the hundreds of cities off their list of candidates for their own implementation.

What we have seen in Chattanooga, we will begin to see everywhere. Accel Networks exists for the simple reason that we believe, along with countless others, that broadband doesn't have to stagnate. We can serve better, put customers first, and innovate the technology that drives our increasingly vital t-com important infrastructure. Whose next?

Labels: Broadband, Google, Google Fiber, Telecommunication

posted by Unknown at 9:54 AM Link to this Article  0 Comments

Tuesday, July 27, 2010
In a small Welsh town called Crumlin, broadband consumers are about to become test subjects for an incredibly fast fiber network courtesy of Virgin Media. It's going to be free to consumers and serve as a beta, or proof-of-concept, for Virgin. Now, before you get too excited at this novel idea and wonderful display of philanthropy on Virgin's behalf, ask yourself: doesn't this sound vaguely familiar?

In February of this year, Google announced something similar: Google Fiber. The promise was about the same--unheard-of broadband speeds for a deserving community. The difference was this: nobody knew which community... yet. So, of course, the PR mileage that Google (intentionally or unintentionally) drew from this announcement was far-reaching.

But when Virgin Media announced their venture, it barely blipped the media's radar. Why? What's different? First of all, it's the 2nd time around. Copy cats never do as well as the original. However, I want to be careful to state something: I'm not so sure Virgin Media is copying anything.

Whereas Google's underlying premise of their venture was to bring broadband to more communities, Virgin really is testing some new technology. In the interest of deployment cost and speed, they have opted to route fiber on the above-ground utility poles instead of the traditional underground method.

Virgin hopes to discover whether the fiber can endure the exposure to elements and, when elements cause failure, if the long-term cost to maintain the above-ground route is justifiable in lieu of the upfront costs to install buried fiber. Both scenarios serve as proof of one simple fact: the last mile is the most costly. Virgin Media is using an above-ground method in order to avoid alleviate some of the costs associated with going the last mile--the local loop from cable to computer.

The fact remains, however, that the easiest and most cost-effective way to connect the last mile avoids cable and fiber altogether--regardless of which side of the turf you're talking about. A managed wireless local loop, such as Accel Networks provides, can take the same broadband--which no doubt reaches the area on the back of a terrestrial workhorse--and put it into any business in a matter of days.

So Virgin, Google, and the many others who dare to bring broadband to the masses: we love that you're connecting our community, but could there be a better way to connect each consumer?

Labels: Google Fiber, Local Loop, Virgin Media

posted by Unknown at 6:02 AM Link to this Article  0 Comments

Wednesday, February 24, 2010
A few weeks ago, I learned about Google's broadband service entre (maybe). They announced that they would be selecting communities in which to test an incredibly high-speed fiber network. Fed up with waiting on government and other big business to act on U.S. broadband's needs, Google--always the innovator--is taking action.

I read the news, but to be honest, didn't give it much more thought. Until, that is, my phone started ringing. Here in my home town of Indy, at least two friends of mine in other tech businesses wanted to know if I would sign their petition to Google to choose our humble city as their testing ground.

Surely this was just a few over-zealous fans, I thought. Then I saw the twitter conversation growing. My Facebook wall got flooded. Apparently, someone, or some group of someones, really wants Google fiber in Indianapolis.

There has even been an official site launched to gather signatures: fiber4indy.com. For all of my neighbors and friends, I am proud to report that I have now signed the petition.

In truth, I'm very encouraged on two fronts. First, that Google's offer did not fall on deaf ears. It is a testament to how ready the US is for broadband change that such a stir has been created. Had their announcement been met with a flat golf clap and then faded into the background of internet chatter, we would know the problem of broadband in the U.S. was not as big as we may have thought.

Second, however, is that the people still speak. Petitions? Really? I haven't signed a petition since our 3rd grade class banded together to get a different candy option in the vending machines. When it could be easy to wait for the broadband plan to be implemented and place the impetus on the government to take action, at least for my local Hoosiers, the people are taking action.

Go Google. Go people.

Labels: Broadband Plan, Google Fiber

posted by Unknown at 7:12 AM Link to this Article  0 Comments