Cheshire Cat Photo Blog(...said the Cat: 'we're all mad here....')

Google is planning an experiment that will test ultra-high-speed broadband networks in one or more trial locations across the country. Google networks will deliver Internet speeds of greater-than-100-times faster than what most Americans currently have available to them, of 1 gigabit per second, fiber-to-the-home connections, AT COMPETITIVE PRICES.

The service will be offered to at least 50,000 people and potentially, to 500,000 people!

From now until March 26th, Google would like interested municipalities to provide them with a Request for Information (RFI), which they will use to determine where to build their network. State, county, and city officials were asked to contact Google.

Google will share its network with other service providers, according to James Kelly, product manager, in a video. (Note added March 14, 2010: I did not think too much about this statement at the time I wrote it, but is “sharing its network” one of Google’s ways to (technologically) “force” (or at least “leverage”) other service providers to “speed up?” )

The capabilities of the faster networks, and potential competition with current broadband providers, is discussed here.

Other stories that discuss the move are here, here, and here!

(Note added February 12, 2010: An earlier CNN interview with a Google policy analyst is here.)

(Note added February 14, 2010: One of the telecommunications companies has very recently started advertising an upcoming 10-fold increase in communications speeds. My guess is that the faster service will come at a higher price. Maybe Google is already having an effect, without having laid any fiber, yet. I am looking forward to Google’s threat of competition making a real change in telecommunications in the U.S.)

-Bill at

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