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Baiting Guru Joined: 31 Jan 2007 Posts: 12237

Well, at least for those in Kansas City, KS. This will crush the existing providers, or force them to open up their pipes and lower prices, it's about time. For those outside of the States, we pay a ton and get crappy internet speed. (At least I do, $70US a month for 7Mb/s, on a good day, with Qwest DSL).

https://fiber.google.com/about/

Posted: Fri Jul 27, 2012 8:17 am

Oh,

I thought you had accepted a Canadian way of life. Never mind.

Baiting Guru Joined: 11 May 2004 Posts: 2163

Does this mean you are going to post more garbage on the interweb?

Posted: Fri Jul 27, 2012 1:52 pm

How is this in any way "Good news"?

Posted: Fri Jul 27, 2012 2:04 pm

How many naira are 70 so called USD worth?

Baiting Guru Joined: 31 Jan 2007 Posts: 12237

Slightlyoutofit wrote:

How is this in any way "Good news"?

Some competition amongst ISPs. The US has pathetic download speeds, when compared with other countries. We have crappy infrastructure because the ISPs use existing junk, like phone lines and cable lines, and they charge an arm and a leg. I like to see that the Google is in there poking Comcast, Verision, Qwest et al and providing some competition.

Why do I even respond to you, God I hate you.

Edit:

TheDane wrote:

How many naira are 70 so called USD worth?

70.00 USD = 11,270.00 NGN

At the rate we are printing new money, I may convert my entire retirement account to Naria before our dollar becomes worthless.

Posted: Fri Jul 27, 2012 3:25 pm

Come to spain if you want to cry. ISPs usually give around 20% - 30% of the bandwith you are paying for. We officially have the slowest and most expensive connection in the whole EU.

Posted: Fri Jul 27, 2012 3:33 pm

Pastor Frank wrote:

Slightlyoutofit wrote:

How is this in any way "Good news"?

We have crappy infrastructure because the ISPs use existing junk, like phone lines and cable lines

Our ISP's (in Denmark) use existing infrastructure, cable lines and phone lines, as well and I get 18 Mbit/s download and just below 2 Mbit/s upload for about 50 USD/month (roughly). Sounds to me like the infrastructure isn't the real reason for your high prices...

Heh, I remember back in the phone modem days. Back then, you Yankee's were the ones with cheap internet. Wink

When I think of my phone bills on the late 90's, I get dizzy.

Baiting Guru Joined: 31 Jan 2007 Posts: 12237

TheDane wrote:

Sounds to me like the infrastructure isn't the real reason for your high prices...

Good point, the existing infrastructure is there but there is a limit as to what it can deliver and they (the current) ISPs have it cranked down. I went from 1.5 Mb/s to a theoretical 7 (closer to 5 in reality) with a simple phone call and a few keyboard clicks on their end, and of course a more than doubling of my bill. Optical Fiber is a game changer, and I am glad to see Google sticking their toe in the water. I'll gladly pay the one time fee to run the fiber to my house.

Posted: Fri Jul 27, 2012 3:51 pm

@ The Dane:

compare Denmark:
area: 43,094 km2
population density: 128/km2
Highest point: 171 m
Lowest point: -7 m

with the USA:
area: 9,826,675 km2
pop. density: 33.7/km2
Lowest point: −86 m
Highest point (not Alaska or Hawaii): 4,421 m

and Spain:
area: 505,992 km2
density: 93/km2
highest point (only the peninsula): 3,477 m
lowest point: 0m

It is more difficult to build a good internet network in countries like Spain and the USA, that have low population density , as opposed to Denmark, which I remember as mostly green plains (legoland is great btw Cool

)[/b]

Baiting Guru Joined: 31 Jan 2007 Posts: 12237

JM has a valid point as well, even with all of the Metric stuff, I never thought about it that way. It looks like Google is asking customers to foot part of the bill to install the infrastructure and are probing customer interest.

Edit:

Jim Morrison wrote:

Lowest point: −86 m

I've been there, the place sucks.

Posted: Fri Jul 27, 2012 4:21 pm

Yes, but as I understand it, PF lives in or near Kansas City, and since most American cities are larger than our capital (the largest US cities even have more citizens than our entire country), it seems reasonable to assume that they have a good and well developed infrastructure in urban areas, also when it comes to cable and phone lines. Wink

I don't know for sure, of course, it just seems reasonable to assume.

Oh, and parts of Denmark has horrible connection as well, particular thinly populated areas along the West Coast, as well as smaller islands (of which we have many). Until recently, there was a WiMax provider that could offer them service, but they went bakrupt a few months ago, so now they're screwed, unless they want to pay a fortune to have cables dug down and installed.

Posted: Fri Jul 27, 2012 6:23 pm

PF, how them Chiefs gonna do this year?

Baiting Guru Joined: 31 Jan 2007 Posts: 12237

^ Better than my home team, guaranteed.

Posted: Fri Jul 27, 2012 7:05 pm

^ Sounds like your version of football isn't that different from ours, after all... Laughing

Posted: Fri Jul 27, 2012 8:10 pm

Baiting Guru Joined: 31 Jan 2007 Posts: 12237

^ We were 3-13 last year, not many teams sucked worse. We didn't even win one Division game.

Don't get me started.

Posted: Fri Jul 27, 2012 9:34 pm

North America is far behind Europe and the majority of the not so civilized world (just funning) when it comes to communications infrastructure. I can understand that some remote areas do not have proper access to good connectivity due to this but then again why do such innocent parties have to suffer? The technology to rectify this situation does exist!

I do believe that countries such as Estonia have pretty much a constitutional right to have adequate Internet service. Mind you, I doubt many of the inhabitants actually could afford such luxuries in the first place.

My personal saga as a beguiled Canuck tells tales of absolute dark areas where there isn't even the glimmer of getting a 'telephone pole' let alone any form of a decent communication system. I live in an area that will probably never, during my lifetime, have decent Internet service. Yes as I type on my Wife's IPad ( I mean husband's or is it...never mind) using a Crappy 3G signal I have to count my lucky stars that dial up isn't in the equation anymore.

Now I'm all riled up. Thanx whoever started this I'll be sulking in the corner for a bit.

Posted: Fri Jul 27, 2012 10:03 pm

^ PF started it, and now I realize that it was all an evil plot to get you Canadians to break down and cry. Laughing

Elite Baiter Joined: 19 Jun 2011 Posts: 1066

Quote:

since most American cities are larger than our capital (the largest US cities even have more citizens than our entire country), it seems reasonable to assume that they have a good and well developed infrastructure in urban areas, also when it comes to cable and phone lines.

You would think that... but... as someone who has only lived in American urban areas, I can promise you that it isn't the case. Rolling Eyes

Especially when it comes to cable and phone lines.

Posted: Sat Jul 28, 2012 1:05 am

During the time I spent there (2002-2005) South Korea had the highest penetration of high speed internet in the world. They never had dial-up so they did not have to overlay any infrastructure. I had fantastic VDSL and land line service for the equivalent of about $40 a month. Now I pay about $80 per month for Time Warner Cable service that can be described as "fits and starts." It's like trading a Ferrari for a Ford Escort.

Posted: Sun Jul 29, 2012 8:35 pm

We have CableONE*, one of the the crappiest IP provider in the USA! Their customer service is TERRIBLE. The national reviews about them indicate bad customer service, et.

Sure we pay with a bundle plan $35/month for 50mpbs, but we really don't get 50 mpbs, still runs like the 5 mpbs I had before.

When you call to complain they do not want you to use the speed tests you can find on the internet but their CableONE speed test which says you are getting what you signed up for, but the other independent speeds tests indicate I am NOT getting 50mpbs.

*An affiliate of the Washington Post

But they are the only game in our town so we are stuck

Posted: Sun Jul 29, 2012 9:15 pm

I'm still sulking by the way...

My office machinery offers me very close to a Gig connection (on a good day). Sadly that's work not home connectivity. I am attempting as I type to load one of my favorite speed test sites but it seems to be timing out. Oh well maybe I should just go have a drink and forget about it.

Happy Sunday Everyone!

Posted: Mon Jul 30, 2012 7:55 pm

I feel like a poor relation here. I only get a rock solid 12-13meg connection and those devils at O2 charge me over £5/$7.50/CAD$8(delete as appropriate) for it!!

Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2012 4:40 pm

take this test: http://www.speedtest.net/ and cry

2.12 Mb/s download, 0.60 Mb/s upload. I pay 30€/36.9322$ every month for 12 Mb/s and free, unlimited calls to national landlines.