Google Fiber is in a different level altogether than what other countries (South Korea, Japan included) or the ISP competitors in U.S. have. Nothing else even come close!
It is true that the average broadband speed in U.S. may lag a bit compared to other smaller countries with more managed network, but most of the U.S. ISPs now offer high-speed fiber optics that are many times faster than the "average" speed and will soon change the standings, as more U.S. markets converts to the high-end offerings.
Here is quick comparison to illustrate this:
- Avg internet speed in South Korea (ranked #1): 15.7 mbps
- Avg internet speed in U.S.A. (ranked #12): 6.7 mbps
- Avg speed of AT&T UVerse (mid-tier plans): 24mbps
- Avg speed of Xfinity (mid-tier plans): 30mbps
- Comcast Xfinity Business Max Speed : 100 mbps
- Verizon FIOS Max Speed: 300 mbps
- Google Fiber: 1000 mbps
Google Fiber is currently very limited and may possibly take 2-3 years to increase coverage enough to be competitive in U.S. markets. But eventually, its a game-changer no doubt!
The other point to note about gigabit network is that current 802.11 WiFi model can't take full advantage of that astonishing speed (I think Wifi maxes out at 600mbps). From a typical user stand-point, even with 3-4 devices using the internet simultaneously (NetFlix, Surfing, Pandora, Youtube etc.), the difference between a 15mbps and a 25mbps speed is almost indistinguishable. To compare our recent XFinity upgrade to 30mbps, we tried a dozen device including a PS3 game-server hosting, Youtube video & Facebook album uploads, Pandora, surfing and Netflix movie streaming and only then we could detect some difference.
I would think it would be much harder to distinguish between a 75mbps FIOS offering vs a Google Fiber on a residential line.
On another note, I noticed in many Asian countries wireless broadband (i.e. USB datapack) is rapidly growing. Due to the ease of deployment and use, compared to laying down fiber networks, may overtake the traditional ISP model in the long run.
For example in Manila, 3G wireless networks offering 2-3mbps+ broadband on prepaid/rechargeable Flash cards simply makes more sense than a faster land-based ISP with hassles of monthly contract. With LTE and LTE-advanced protocols, wireless data will eventually range between 50-100 mbps and will probably spread to rest of the world faster than fiber.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Blah
Most of the rest of the of the developed world are doing just fine : http://www.theverge.com/2012/8/9/323...internet-speed
I know that HongKong, SKorea, Japan and few European countries has faster internet speed option than this google offer for at-least 4-5 yrs now at much much lower price. What Google is doing might be new in USA and at a very small scale, but its not new to a lot of the developed world.
On a related note. My guestimation is that 98% of on internet users won't benefit from a gigabit connection because your bottleneck would be your network, disk, router and websites/web-services you are using. Chances are 98% of the website/webserver don't have anything more than a 50-100mbit upstream connection.
You won't even notice and difference between 100mbit and 1gbit connection from your end, from a regular user perspective.
A die hard geek could do a lot of cool stuff with that kind of speed though.
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Wearing my tin-foil hat.
Google is doing this is in USA because its trying to save its a$$ for future anti-net-neutrality bills that the big media are trying to pass for the last 4-5 years. Basically 3-4 companies that control the internet backbone in USA is trying to restrict internet usage for consumers by instituting tiered based internet usage (ie, package 1 gives you access to youtube/gmail package 2 gives you access to google.com and so on and so forth) and they are also trying to stop unlimited internet plans on wired broadband connection. Legally they can't do it, but they can do it on wireless network; like how verizon and att gives you 2gb package.
If this kind of bill passes in USA (and there is a good possibility in the near future depending on the outcome of the election) then it will seriously screw up google's earning. Not only is USA Google's biggest market but google thrives because of the unrestricted way the internet works.
Currently the internet backbone is heavily controlled by 4-5 players (verizon and att to name a few). By becoming an internet backbone themselves google can restrict its heavy dependence on verizon network. In the event if a restrictive internet bill passes google will have an option to directly serve unrestricted internet option which will prevent other internet companies from having restrictive internet packages.
Everyone wins if google is successful in this. The users win with unrestricted high speed internet and google wins by more internet usage and not being dependent on others.
I am 99.99% sure google is unlikely to provide Google Fiber service outside USA anytime soon if ever. This is not like a software you install, this not even a hardware, this is a utility service like laying train tracks or telephone lines; which big companies spent years and billions of dollars to install. Its not easy and not going to happen over night.
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