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Visible signs left after Google Fiber abandons Louisville

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Re: Visible signs left after Google Fiber abandons Louisville

#51

Post by eeeeeeeeeeeee »

phonon wrote: post #50
eeeeeeeeeeeee wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They could still do fiber to some central node, then point-to-point radios for the last mile. I have WebPass (webpass.net) and it's point-to-point, gigabit, and latency is awesome, much better than Comcast ever was for me at the same location, or any location for that matter. My ping to 1.1.1.1 is consistently around 2-4ms. And yes, this is obviously an anycast address, going to a datacenter in my city, but still imp…

And in bad weather...?

No issues whatsoever. That was definitely my concern. Snow, fog, rain, large storms. It just works.

Re: Visible signs left after Google Fiber abandons Louisville

#52

Post by vb6lives »

teachrdan wrote: post #26
quest88 wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is there any particular two inch trenches were dug? Was it too expensive? Extra permits?

If I understand your question correctly, they used 2" trenches because shallower === faster. However, they were so shallow--and the surfacing material so brittle--that the fibers ended up getting damaged too often. So they corrected with slightly deeper trenches afterwards.

Shallower === cheaper

Re: Visible signs left after Google Fiber abandons Louisville

#53

Post by tzs »

paxys wrote: post #4
endofcapital wrote: post #2

"But Google Fiber got something out of its time here. It learned that nanotrenching—the cost-saving process of burying fiber optic cables just two inches underground—was a bust. “We currently do not have plans that call for 2 inch trenches, our primary specifications are focused on going deeper,” a Google Fiber spokesperson said in an email." It's so weird to just use cities as A/B tests and just disregard all the pe…

Trying new products in small markets as an experiment has been a thing forever, and is something literally every company does regularly. There is nothing weird about it. As for the fallout, IMO the city is to blame for it more than Google, since the company is obligated to do exactly what the contract entails.

Yeah, but when a soda company, say, tries out one new flavor in my town, and different new flavor in your town, and mine flops and yours succeeds, they don't just stop selling soda in my town. They start selling the flavor from your test in my town, too.

It would have risked much less bad publicity if they had done the 2" experiments in a city they were willing to use 6" trenching in. Do part of the deployment with 2" and part with 6", and if the 2" part doesn't work redo that part with 6".

Re: Visible signs left after Google Fiber abandons Louisville

#54

Post by notJim »

DanHulton wrote: post #42
paxys wrote: post #6

The failure of Google Fiber paints a very bleak picture of the future of internet infrastructure, or even all communication in this country. If Google cannot compete with the status quo, who can?

I mean, this is almost exactly the kind of massive public project that the government is there for.

I agree with this, and I think the general slogan of "broadband for all" could be a winning one for a politician (though they have to actually deliver.) My parents live in a rural area and the fastest internet they can get can barely stream Netflix on a good day, and only as long as no one else is using it. Many people have it much worse. Access to high-quality broadband seems like an issue that could span the rural/urban divide.

Re: Visible signs left after Google Fiber abandons Louisville

#55

Post by elliotec »

vb6lives wrote: post #11
paxys wrote: post #6

The failure of Google Fiber paints a very bleak picture of the future of internet infrastructure, or even all communication in this country. If Google cannot compete with the status quo, who can?

They tried to lay fiber in 2in trenches instead of typical 6in trenches. Then left when it didn't work. This isn't Goliath beating David. This is David throwing a rock, missing, and going home.

I’m in Salt Lake City and they have the fiber coming to my house strung up on telephone poles, not sure what this “inches under ground” thing means or why it matters. Google fiber has been fantastic for us since day one and it’s sad they aren’t moving forward with it.

Re: Visible signs left after Google Fiber abandons Louisville

#57

Post by op00to »

paxys wrote: post #4
endofcapital wrote: post #2

"But Google Fiber got something out of its time here. It learned that nanotrenching—the cost-saving process of burying fiber optic cables just two inches underground—was a bust. “We currently do not have plans that call for 2 inch trenches, our primary specifications are focused on going deeper,” a Google Fiber spokesperson said in an email." It's so weird to just use cities as A/B tests and just disregard all the pe…

Trying new products in small markets as an experiment has been a thing forever, and is something literally every company does regularly. There is nothing weird about it. As for the fallout, IMO the city is to blame for it more than Google, since the company is obligated to do exactly what the contract entails.

I think what's different is typically cable/phone companies have been reluctant to give up on their investment so easily. This is probably somehow due to the past and present monopolies they hold. Google, like the honey badger, don't care.

Re: Visible signs left after Google Fiber abandons Louisville

#58

Post by sithadmin »

elliotec wrote: post #55
vb6lives wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They tried to lay fiber in 2in trenches instead of typical 6in trenches. Then left when it didn't work. This isn't Goliath beating David. This is David throwing a rock, missing, and going home.

I’m in Salt Lake City and they have the fiber coming to my house strung up on telephone poles, not sure what this “inches under ground” thing means or why it matters. Google fiber has been fantastic for us since day one and it’s sad they aren’t moving forward with it.

Google tried a 'micro trenching' approach to laying fiber in Lousiville - basically, channels cut into pavement in which fiber is laid, then filled in with epoxy on top. As it turns out, Google's specific implementation of this in Lousiville was highly unreliable.

General overview of micro-trenching: https://www.ppc-online.com/blog/best-practice-for-installing...

Re: Visible signs left after Google Fiber abandons Louisville

#59

Post by selimthegrim »

vb6lives wrote: post #11
paxys wrote: post #6

The failure of Google Fiber paints a very bleak picture of the future of internet infrastructure, or even all communication in this country. If Google cannot compete with the status quo, who can?

They tried to lay fiber in 2in trenches instead of typical 6in trenches. Then left when it didn't work. This isn't Goliath beating David. This is David throwing a rock, missing, and going home.

Doesn’t he have four more?

Re: Visible signs left after Google Fiber abandons Louisville

#60

Post by MiddleEndian »

paxys wrote: post #6

The failure of Google Fiber paints a very bleak picture of the future of internet infrastructure, or even all communication in this country. If Google cannot compete with the status quo, who can?

I live in Boston, where Google had a service called WebPass which was fiber with radio dishes for the last mile. They eventually gave up on our market, but two other radio fiber ISPs exist$. So Google isn't the necessarily the best competitor in that market.

$ Due to a wacky series of misunderstandings, both of these ISPs service my building now that Webpass is gone. They periodically send out sales reps who bring snacks and wine.

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