6 ms·

Great - Austin households get two giga-bit networks competing to get first to their doorsteps and the rest of the country gets to watch in wonder.

dublinben 14y ago
Musicipal fiber also seems to be a great way to rile up the telcos. If Google won't wire your city, just do it yourselves. AT&T and Comcast will either compete or sue to prevent it.
- pavel_lishin 14y ago
  Who wins when a lawsuit prevents a municipal network from being built?
  - ttrreeww 14y ago
    The existing monopoly :) Everyone else loses.
    - pokoleo 14y ago
      Everyone always loses because the winners don't want to be targets.
OGinparadise 14y ago
Make it one, Google will almost certainly close shop soon after AT & T does theirs. AT&T then will double prices. Notice the zingers to Google and to Austin officials: "AT&T’s expanded fiber plans in Austin anticipate it will be granted the same terms and conditions as Google on issues such as geographic scope of offerings, rights of way, permitting, state licenses and any investment incentives...AT&T consistently invests in U.S. communities -- $98 billion in capital in the past five years, more than any other public company" AT& T is most likely gonna sue Austin unless they provide them with the same incentives as Google is getting.
- dragonwriter 14y ago
  > Make it one, Google will almost certainly close shop soon after AT & T does theirs. Yeah, just like Google stopped making Chrome once other browser vendors followed their lead with a focus on JavaScript performance.
  - OGinparadise 14y ago
    Yeah, running an ISP is exactly like, and as profitable as developing a browser based on Apple's work. Running an ISP is surely Google's strong point and core business. Why didn't you compare Fiber to the http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2013/03/a-second-spring-of-cleaning.html http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2013/03/a-second-spring-of-cl... ?
    - ersii 14y ago
      A friendly piece of advice, you're coming off as very harsh/hostile - it might be well worth it to take a few minutes before posting to cool off, if this subject is close to your heart.
      - OGinparadise 14y ago
        advice taken. Thanks, https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5523024 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5523024
    - enneff 14y ago
      When Google announced Chrome they did not have a history of writing world-class desktop software. Yet Chrome is massively successful. One thing that Google does better than anyone else (period) is build networks.
      - OGinparadise 14y ago
        Yet Chrome is massively successful. I've seen non-techie people use Chrome, none of them remembered how and why. My guess is that tried to download something else and it as bundled, or clicked on an advert when using Google. That might explain a large part of success. Chrome is pretty good, but then so is Firefox and (even) IE10. One thing that Google does better than anyone else (period) is build networks. Even if I assume that as true (surely many will contest it) somehow I suspect that that's not why we don't have 100mbs or GB service countrywide

dublinben 14y ago

Musicipal fiber also seems to be a great way to rile up the telcos. If Google won't wire your city, just do it yourselves. AT&T and Comcast will either compete or sue to prevent it.

pavel_lishin 14y ago
Who wins when a lawsuit prevents a municipal network from being built?
- ttrreeww 14y ago
  The existing monopoly :) Everyone else loses.
  - pokoleo 14y ago
    Everyone always loses because the winners don't want to be targets.

OGinparadise 14y ago

Make it one, Google will almost certainly close shop soon after AT & T does theirs. AT&T then will double prices. Notice the zingers to Google and to Austin officials: "AT&T’s expanded fiber plans in Austin anticipate it will be granted the same terms and conditions as Google on issues such as geographic scope of offerings, rights of way, permitting, state licenses and any investment incentives...AT&T consistently invests in U.S. communities -- $98 billion in capital in the past five years, more than any other public company" AT& T is most likely gonna sue Austin unless they provide them with the same incentives as Google is getting.

dragonwriter 14y ago
> Make it one, Google will almost certainly close shop soon after AT & T does theirs. Yeah, just like Google stopped making Chrome once other browser vendors followed their lead with a focus on JavaScript performance.
- OGinparadise 14y ago
  Yeah, running an ISP is exactly like, and as profitable as developing a browser based on Apple's work. Running an ISP is surely Google's strong point and core business. Why didn't you compare Fiber to the http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2013/03/a-second-spring-of-cleaning.html http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2013/03/a-second-spring-of-cl... ?
  - ersii 14y ago
    A friendly piece of advice, you're coming off as very harsh/hostile - it might be well worth it to take a few minutes before posting to cool off, if this subject is close to your heart.
    - OGinparadise 14y ago
      advice taken. Thanks, https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5523024 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5523024
  - enneff 14y ago
    When Google announced Chrome they did not have a history of writing world-class desktop software. Yet Chrome is massively successful. One thing that Google does better than anyone else (period) is build networks.
    - OGinparadise 14y ago
      Yet Chrome is massively successful. I've seen non-techie people use Chrome, none of them remembered how and why. My guess is that tried to download something else and it as bundled, or clicked on an advert when using Google. That might explain a large part of success. Chrome is pretty good, but then so is Firefox and (even) IE10. One thing that Google does better than anyone else (period) is build networks. Even if I assume that as true (surely many will contest it) somehow I suspect that that's not why we don't have 100mbs or GB service countrywide