Google Fiber Plans & Pricing • Hacker News Board

Re: Google Fiber Plans & Pricing

#161

Post by nickpinkston » Thu, Jul 26, 2012, 5:48 PM UTC

philwelch wrote: post #94

api wrote: post #29

Thank GOD they're disrupting this industry. All the telcos are worthless "Soviet bureaus" that deserve death. It's really sort of amazing to think about. In all my years on this planet I have never been pleased with a telecom company. Never. I have always felt like I was paying far too much for inferior service, contemptible customer support, and endless efforts to further "monetize" me through harassing phone calls…

Be careful what you wish for. I'm dubious of getting any kind of service from a company known for not having any kind of customer service whatsoever.

Though to be honest - how good is ComCraptic at service? At least when Google has bugs they're solved quickly.

Re: Google Fiber Plans & Pricing

#162

Post by b0 » Thu, Jul 26, 2012, 5:48 PM UTC

wtvanhest wrote: post #155

ktizo wrote: post #124

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't mind having no call centers to call as long as the service works better and the network is smart. Currently, you are having to use a phone to verbally tell the telco where the problems are on the network they run, which is insane.

You will be on a phone one way or another when the internet is down.

Unless you have ADSL...

Re: Google Fiber Plans & Pricing

#163

Post by akennberg » Thu, Jul 26, 2012, 5:48 PM UTC

One of these gigabit subscriptions is enough for a few houses / apartment floor. :-)

Re: Google Fiber Plans & Pricing

#164

Post by potatolicious » Thu, Jul 26, 2012, 5:49 PM UTC

paulitex wrote: post #121

api wrote: post #29

Thank GOD they're disrupting this industry. All the telcos are worthless "Soviet bureaus" that deserve death. It's really sort of amazing to think about. In all my years on this planet I have never been pleased with a telecom company. Never. I have always felt like I was paying far too much for inferior service, contemptible customer support, and endless efforts to further "monetize" me through harassing phone calls…

> There is not a single other industry I can say that about, certainly not one that comes to mind so quickly. Airlines? > contemptible customer support IMHO better than Google's dogmatic avoidance of any kind of customer support.

> "Airlines?"

Heh. Flying is a terrible experience because what most people pay for is the transportation equivalent of a Wal-Mart jar of pickles.

The price of flying, especially as a proportion of income, has tanked since the golden age we all yearn for. There's a reason airlines no longer serve meals, give out free pillows, and are still going bankrupt every few years - the margins are razor thin and the competition is extreme.

It's the same reason why they no longer hand out hotel rooms like candy, or why there are more cascading delays (hint: keeping spare planes and crews on standby is really, really expensive).

If you paid as much now as you did for the same flight in the 70s, you'd still get the very same service.

Re: Google Fiber Plans & Pricing

#165

Post by Avenger42 » Thu, Jul 26, 2012, 5:50 PM UTC

randall wrote: post #59

rplnt wrote: post #19

Free internet. That's rather creepy from Google. When they roll this big it would hurt other providers, which in itself isn't bad, but having only Google as a choice is. Can they even do that by the way (anti-monopoly regulations)?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dumping_(pricing_policy)#Action... Maybe?

That only seems to apply to dumping as an action by international firms, intended to damage domestic companies, and the rights domestic companies have to address it. It's not strictly applicable between two local firms competing for customers.

Re: Google Fiber Plans & Pricing

#166

Post by [deleted] » Thu, Jul 26, 2012, 5:50 PM UTC

randall wrote: post #59

rplnt wrote: post #19

Free internet. That's rather creepy from Google. When they roll this big it would hurt other providers, which in itself isn't bad, but having only Google as a choice is. Can they even do that by the way (anti-monopoly regulations)?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dumping_(pricing_policy)#Action... Maybe?

[deleted]

Re: Google Fiber Plans & Pricing

#167

Post by tubbo » Thu, Jul 26, 2012, 5:50 PM UTC

aww i wish they were around philly

Re: Google Fiber Plans & Pricing

#168

Post by blinkingled » Thu, Jul 26, 2012, 5:52 PM UTC

Kansas, KS and Kansas, MO - what's with the Kansas fixation Google?

This sounds good but if they are going to take more than a few years just to move out of Kansas I am not sure if it would even relevant in the grand scheme of things.

Re: Google Fiber Plans & Pricing

#169

Post by mrschwabe » Thu, Jul 26, 2012, 5:52 PM UTC

azakai wrote: post #58

Does anyone know how they make money from the free option?

Google has a private working relationship with the NSA - so its anyone's guess but it is conceivable that Google is receiving money from them to subsidize this cost.

http://rt.com/usa/news/court-nsa-google-agency-053/

Re: Google Fiber Plans & Pricing

#170

Post by AsylumWarden » Thu, Jul 26, 2012, 5:52 PM UTC

maratd wrote: post #102

api wrote: post #29

Thank GOD they're disrupting this industry. All the telcos are worthless "Soviet bureaus" that deserve death. It's really sort of amazing to think about. In all my years on this planet I have never been pleased with a telecom company. Never. I have always felt like I was paying far too much for inferior service, contemptible customer support, and endless efforts to further "monetize" me through harassing phone calls…

> contemptible customer support Because Google will be so much better? Look, I hate telcos just like the next guy, but the suckage is mostly due to the nature of the business. They form natural monopolies and that sort of thing doesn't lead to customer satisfaction. The only way that sector is going to get truly disrupted is through gigabit wireless internet. You can have multiple competitors in one space with compar…

You know, I've never had trouble with Google customer support. I've contacted them twice: once for a Google Maps issue and again because I couldn't access my account. No problems for me. I find these kinds of complaints strange. Most of the time I hear this complaint the person doing the complaining hadn't ever even tried to contact Google; they just read that it was a problem somewhere. Oh, I will admit they don't make finding the contact information easy but with the number of users barely able to order a happy meal without calling 911 when their fries aren't right who would want to make it easy?