WSJ: Google Inc., putting more pressure on cable and phone companies, said it plans to begin offering ultrafast Internet services to consumers in a small number of U.S. cities. Journal Communitydiscuss..“ The beauty of this would be that since Google has championed the cause for net neutrality, we'll be able to get as much as we want or as little as we want for the same price. "—Bruce Hanson.
Under the plan, the Internet search giant will take its biggest step into supplying Web connections rather than the services that run atop them. Google said it will build and test a few fiber-optic networks that reach homes, aiming to serve 50,000 to 500,000 people. Google executives said the move was designed to accelerate the deployment of faster networks and show off the sort of services that high-speed connections can enable, such as rapid video downloads.
The move carries risks for Google. The company has only dabbled in telecom services so far, and isn't offering the kind of national network that could compete with industry giants. Privately, executives at cable and phone providers expressed skepticism, with one describing the plan as a publicity stunt, since Google didn't announce serious capital spending for the project.
Read More at the Wall Street Journal.