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Google is providing internet using ballons. My guess is that extending fiber optic networks would be a cheapper option. Infrastructure can always be build, and

Google is providing internet using ballons. My guess is that extending fiber optic networks would be a cheapper option. Infrastructure can always be build, and cities are willing ti give fat tax cut to companies that bring this kind of infra and jobs to it. Lets be honest: is cheapper to build an data center in a more distant citie than spend time, money and energie trying to covince San Francisco buroucrats to change its zonning laws.

luckydata 7y ago
Balloons are a cockamame scheme that never made sense. In the US if you have the need it's always cheaper to just run a cable, in the great scheme of things it's not that hard to do, we have millions of miles of cables everywhere.
beambot 7y ago
> My guess is that extending fiber optic networks Google tried that: Google Fiber. Apparently it wasn't economical. > In October 2016, all expansion plans were put on hold and some jobs were cut. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Fiber https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Fiber
- lurker458 7y ago
  Or it was started to improve their bargaining position against ISPs, and was dropped in return for additional concessions.
- toast0 7y ago
  It's not that running fiber wasn't economical. It's that overbuilding a fiber network when there's already a telco and a cable network isn't very economical. It is a pretty good way to convince the incumbents to upgrade to gigabit available speeds though, which makes overbuilding even less economical, but does solve the original problem of slow last mile connections.
  - cartoonworld 7y ago
    Yes, its almost like those cash strapped, barely profitable telcos have to save all their pinched pennies for they day they need to out compete a legitimate, newcoming competitor's build out. Clearly the free market is working wonders for the totally competitive telecom industry. I mean Verizon and Comcast are just neck and neck! look at em go! I can't stop remembering all those dark fiber stories from a bunch of years ago... All these dotcom dark fiber bundles must have just worn out from throwing off all that competitive white light/white heat in the last 20 years.
    - toast0 7y ago
      I'm honestly not sure if you're agreeing with me or not. There's really too much sarcasm in that post. I think you and I agree that the local telco/cableco duopoly is not usually meaningfully competitive among themselves, but does effectively prevent new entrants in most markets. Dark fiber is great, but it solves long distance access issues, not last mile residential access issues. Long distance networking is actually subject to pretty healthy competition, if you can get to your local internet exchange, you'll have a wide variety of carriers that can get you anywhere else.
      - cartoonworld 7y ago
        Oops, sorry about that. I forgot to make an affirmative point, which is yes I agree with you. Telco talk makes me grouchy and of course I cannot resist :) You're right about that dark fiber doing nothing for connecting end users, as you mentioned. As soon as a WISP or municipality lights up the fiber, out come the steep conversion discounts and carpet-bombing PR and if at all possible, the lawyers. Thanks again, I'll try to ensure I'm not wasting time with grousing in the future.

luckydata 7y ago

Balloons are a cockamame scheme that never made sense. In the US if you have the need it's always cheaper to just run a cable, in the great scheme of things it's not that hard to do, we have millions of miles of cables everywhere.

beambot 7y ago

> My guess is that extending fiber optic networks Google tried that: Google Fiber. Apparently it wasn't economical. > In October 2016, all expansion plans were put on hold and some jobs were cut. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Fiber https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Fiber

lurker458 7y ago
Or it was started to improve their bargaining position against ISPs, and was dropped in return for additional concessions.
toast0 7y ago
It's not that running fiber wasn't economical. It's that overbuilding a fiber network when there's already a telco and a cable network isn't very economical. It is a pretty good way to convince the incumbents to upgrade to gigabit available speeds though, which makes overbuilding even less economical, but does solve the original problem of slow last mile connections.
- cartoonworld 7y ago
  Yes, its almost like those cash strapped, barely profitable telcos have to save all their pinched pennies for they day they need to out compete a legitimate, newcoming competitor's build out. Clearly the free market is working wonders for the totally competitive telecom industry. I mean Verizon and Comcast are just neck and neck! look at em go! I can't stop remembering all those dark fiber stories from a bunch of years ago... All these dotcom dark fiber bundles must have just worn out from throwing off all that competitive white light/white heat in the last 20 years.
  - toast0 7y ago
    I'm honestly not sure if you're agreeing with me or not. There's really too much sarcasm in that post. I think you and I agree that the local telco/cableco duopoly is not usually meaningfully competitive among themselves, but does effectively prevent new entrants in most markets. Dark fiber is great, but it solves long distance access issues, not last mile residential access issues. Long distance networking is actually subject to pretty healthy competition, if you can get to your local internet exchange, you'll have a wide variety of carriers that can get you anywhere else.
    - cartoonworld 7y ago
      Oops, sorry about that. I forgot to make an affirmative point, which is yes I agree with you. Telco talk makes me grouchy and of course I cannot resist :) You're right about that dark fiber doing nothing for connecting end users, as you mentioned. As soon as a WISP or municipality lights up the fiber, out come the steep conversion discounts and carpet-bombing PR and if at all possible, the lawyers. Thanks again, I'll try to ensure I'm not wasting time with grousing in the future.