4 ms·

I interpreted that failure as Google being powerless against big ISPs.

kevingadd 8y ago
It's really hard for me to believe that a company with a billion dollars couldn't buy their way to favorable laws. Everyone else does it.
- dnicjwbfic82 8y ago
  The fact that this is even a thing makes me sick. The american political system is royaly f'ed up.
- rayiner 8y ago
  Google negotiated extremely favorable terms with Fiber cities, much more favorable than the terms the incumbents received: https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2012/10/time-warner-att-want-kansas-city-to-give-them-google-fiber-style-deal https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2012/10/time-warner-att-.... > As we’ve reported on in the past, Kansas City has rolled out the digital red carpet for Google: giving rights of way, prime office space, expedited permitting, fee waivers, and more. In a notable example, the city charged only $10 per pole for Google to string its cable on municipal utility poles—as opposed to the usual $18.95 per pole rate. But now, local incumbents Time Warner Cable and AT&T want to feel the love, too. It wouldn’t be fair to accuse Google if “buying” anything—it’s modus operandi was to approach second tier cities in low-cost states that would see fiber as a differentiating factor to help boost their economy. (That’s why they refused to deal with Boston, SF, or NYC.) Then Google gave them extremely aggressive terms, such as waiver of build-out requirements (the obligation to serve the whole city, even unprofitable areas) that are otherwise universal in such deals. And Google still couldn’t make the numbers work!
dnicjwbfic82 8y ago
I really doubt a multi million dollar company like google could be put off if they really tried. Look at what they did in other markets. The sad truth is that this was a "project" for them. If wasn't a part of their future strategy so they bailed and left everyone else to pick up the pieces.

It's really hard for me to believe that a company with a billion dollars couldn't buy their way to favorable laws. Everyone else does it.

dnicjwbfic82 8y ago
The fact that this is even a thing makes me sick. The american political system is royaly f'ed up.
rayiner 8y ago
Google negotiated extremely favorable terms with Fiber cities, much more favorable than the terms the incumbents received: https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2012/10/time-warner-att-want-kansas-city-to-give-them-google-fiber-style-deal https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2012/10/time-warner-att-.... > As we’ve reported on in the past, Kansas City has rolled out the digital red carpet for Google: giving rights of way, prime office space, expedited permitting, fee waivers, and more. In a notable example, the city charged only $10 per pole for Google to string its cable on municipal utility poles—as opposed to the usual $18.95 per pole rate. But now, local incumbents Time Warner Cable and AT&T want to feel the love, too. It wouldn’t be fair to accuse Google if “buying” anything—it’s modus operandi was to approach second tier cities in low-cost states that would see fiber as a differentiating factor to help boost their economy. (That’s why they refused to deal with Boston, SF, or NYC.) Then Google gave them extremely aggressive terms, such as waiver of build-out requirements (the obligation to serve the whole city, even unprofitable areas) that are otherwise universal in such deals. And Google still couldn’t make the numbers work!

dnicjwbfic82 8y ago

I really doubt a multi million dollar company like google could be put off if they really tried. Look at what they did in other markets. The sad truth is that this was a "project" for them. If wasn't a part of their future strategy so they bailed and left everyone else to pick up the pieces.