Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Google Fiber will be sold to private equity firm and merge with cable company

arstechnica.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

11–20 of 44 posts

Re: Google Fiber will be sold to private equity firm and merge with cable company

#11

Post by otterley »

wtallis wrote: post #2

Well, shit. Google Fiber has been the least-bad residential ISP I've dealt with. They put the fear of Competition in all the other ISPs in town, giving us an immediate free speed boost years before Google Fiber actually made it to our neighborhood. But more than most Google projects, it's always been clear that they could at any time get bored with it and give up.

> They put the fear of Competition in all the other ISPs in town, giving us an immediate free speed boost years before Google Fiber actually made it to our neighborhood.

It sounds like Google Fiber’s underlying mission was successful: to improve the quality of Internet experience nationwide. They didn’t even have to undertake the difficulty and expense of an actual buildout in most cases!

Re: Google Fiber will be sold to private equity firm and merge with cable company

#12

Post by SOLAR_FIELDS »

wtallis wrote: post #2

Well, shit. Google Fiber has been the least-bad residential ISP I've dealt with. They put the fear of Competition in all the other ISPs in town, giving us an immediate free speed boost years before Google Fiber actually made it to our neighborhood. But more than most Google projects, it's always been clear that they could at any time get bored with it and give up.

I was paying IIRC $85 USD to spectrum a month for 300 down and 10 up. Google fiber came to my neighborhood a year and a half ago and offered 1gb symmetrical for $70, so 3x more down and 100x more up for less money.

I’ll actually be optimistic and say we will make it a year before the price hikes start

Re: Google Fiber will be sold to private equity firm and merge with cable company

#13

Post by Legend2440 »

AlotOfReading wrote: post #7
kylecazar wrote: post #4

I remember when it was released and I wished I was in Kansas. I'm smack in the middle of debating Google Fi, this probably won't impact my decision, but I wonder if it will suffer a similar fate.

I'll be sad when Google Fi is eventually killed. It's honestly amazing to have a service that's purely transactional. No notifications, no upsells, no "oops we had a data breach" (except the time it happened upstream), no roaming. Just a monthly payment exchanged for service.

How is this different from what other prepaid carriers like Mint offer?

Re: Google Fiber will be sold to private equity firm and merge with cable company

#18

Post by trivialities777 »

Legend2440 wrote: post #13
AlotOfReading wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'll be sad when Google Fi is eventually killed. It's honestly amazing to have a service that's purely transactional. No notifications, no upsells, no "oops we had a data breach" (except the time it happened upstream), no roaming. Just a monthly payment exchanged for service.

How is this different from what other prepaid carriers like Mint offer?

The big thing keeping me from switching from Google Fi is how easy international roaming is. For every country I've been to, I've just had it automatically work within ten minutes of landing, at my regular price, without buying any addons

Re: Google Fiber will be sold to private equity firm and merge with cable company

#19

Post by leohart »

Legend2440 wrote: post #13
AlotOfReading wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'll be sad when Google Fi is eventually killed. It's honestly amazing to have a service that's purely transactional. No notifications, no upsells, no "oops we had a data breach" (except the time it happened upstream), no roaming. Just a monthly payment exchanged for service.

How is this different from what other prepaid carriers like Mint offer?

I got bad speed even with perfect signal in malls and any place that is more crowded than a Costco. Google Fi doesn't have that problem. I blame it on T-mobile but I would rather Google Fi survives.
Post reply on HN