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...dark fiber contracts both in metropolitan areas and over long distances as part of development of a global backbone network.
A global backbone network?
Are they trying to takeover the internet or just sync their datacentres faster?
BD
[edited by: Brett_Tabke at 5:29 pm (utc) on Jan. 17, 2005]
[edit reason] added links [/edit]
Mack.
Corbato says he has noticed signs of increasing interest in dark fiber from private enterprise of late, most notably among large financial institutions. Meanwhile, in December, cable giant Comcast signed a $100 million-plus deal to buy long-haul dark fiber to build out its network.The demand for bandwidth continues to grow. To me, Google's interest seems like a no-brainer, akin to the "domain name speculation" done a few years ago.
I guess they play like a game of cards, keep them hidden until you are ready to win the hand. Always keeping us on th edge of our seats for sure!
KG
Bad move if true. The infrastructure is already there for this and is beeing improved daily by the backbone companies. Google cannot wire the entire country and control everything from your DSL to their servers...unless they have a few hundred billion laying wround. Even then, the money would be better spent in a much higher growth area. Broadband isn't.
When the dot-com happened it made its dreams ridiculous. One by one, Google has made the ridiculous plausible again, ie.
1. A "global library"
2. A company that can stand up to Microsoft
3. A company run by computer geeks, most under 35.
4. A company combining productivity with bean-bag chairs, lava lamps and in-office pets.
5. A company that seems to care more about being excellent than being profitable.
And now, of the most dramatic miscalculations of the dot-com boom: Building a vast oversupply of bandwidth in the expectation of exponential demand increases.
Then again, I could see them sitting in the back room making up job postings for effect. (I'll bet Yahoo is having a meeting on whether they need to buy bandwidth too.) Next up, "Wanted: Person to open web-based pet store. Bring sock puppet."
uh, huh
5. A company that seems to care more about being excellent than being profitable.
That was google in the stanford days. That is google no longer. They are there to make as much as possible. Good laugh though.
- The job also talks about them being responsible for negotiations for all the data centre and power stuff, their Internet traffic, and HVAC. So this isn't a "take over the world with dark fibre" position
- In the part where they ask for experience getting dark fibre, they also ask for the same thing with managed MAN and lambdas. Basically, all the pipes G would use for their network.
- It's not unreasonable to assume that G makes use of dark fibre, or would look to try and lower the $/Mb/s costs by trying alternative means. If you look at the "Peering Manager" description above, they have a guy that does this solely for their Internet peering.
- It doesn't specify "bundles" of dark fibre. It could easily be a single pair.
The stuff about global backbone networks, while true, sounds more like it's there to get the right person excited than it is to announce they're competing with the telcos ;)
Sean
Major inter-city backbones cannot be bought in a regular sense. Fibres can only be rented. This is the one solid asset that the telcos have and if they started selling them off you'd see even more than the normal 2 companies a month going under.
So then you are left with the intermediate metro spans which are astronomically high to build, as you gotta have building permits, construction crews in the streets stopping traffic, and all the other factors associated with urban construction. Not to mention these urban backbones are typically built with specific customers in mind, i.e., a new business complex was built west of the city so let's build to it.
In effect, regardless of how much cash you wanna wave at the telcos, you can't waltz in and procure substantial fibre, dark or not, without being regulated as a telco yourself.
Granted, in my hometown of Vancouver, some guys started a company called Metronet literally in their basement, which eventually got bought up and became AT&T canada. That being said, there's been a couple 're-structurings' and bankruptcy-type affairs since then.
It's difficult business and trying to buy up bulk amounts and play connect the dots with datacenters sounds like they should switch to decaf in the designer espresso machines at G HQ.
gcable.com
gfiber.com
gisp.com
gpipe.co
gferrari.com (just joking Gregg)
:)
Google wants to compete with Msoft in not only the browser market but OS, Office, etc...
I think they should fix their search engine before trying to take over the world with a new OS :-)
Google should and will diversify its revenue model. They remember the Netscape's doom and they won't repeat the same mistake. The advertising model won't be enough in the future. Why? The click fraud and the new aggressive players in the search field are the main threats. Google Mini is part of the transformational process. What's next? Can we say Google Broadband?
[divedi.blogspot.com...]
Who will profit from internet telephony? The bandwidth providers of course.
A company that seems to care more about being excellent than being profitable
HAHAHA do me a favour - sorry suidas - maybe was their original intention but that could not be further from the truth now.
They are owned by the City, they will be driven by the City and they will be keen to please the City and what they want.... kiss goodbye to most of the altruistic bits.
Doesn't mean they can't still be market leaders, but I can;t see them staying out in front for too much longer.
Google is planning on indexing the offline world as well, including shops & supermarkets
dont underestimate this. G is all about information retrieval and Id love to see them doing something like this. im thinking outside the internet.
they already have something like this in place (google answers via sms about locations of shops in your area).
this will lead to google being able to tell you which shop stocks the cheapest product of your choice. "where can i find the cheapest toothpaste of brand x".
I believe that this was discussed on the 60 minute piece that it is something they already are working on - and were able to demo it then
Sounds like they are close to launching this. A free call with ads is not a bad deal.
I think it is very smart for Google to use their brand and expand. If they do they will probably have one with ads and one with e fee--ad free. Many people rather pay $20 or so a month than listen to ads every 5-10 minutes.
NOW with a resurgent internet etc., prices should rise again so
Google is buying low while they still can. That's my guesstimate.
- Larry
