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Chicago and Los Angeles Are Next Up for Google Fiber

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Re: Chicago and Los Angeles Are Next Up for Google Fiber

#101

Post by wanderingstan »

duren wrote: post #63
blackjack48 wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sonic.net will likely beat Google in building out gigabit in SF. This megathread has been following their progress in the Sunset (and soon the Richmond) since 2013: https://forums.sonic.net/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=1085 According to the CEO, though some of the issues have been related to permitting/bureaucracy, they have also had some contractor-related setbacks as well.

The problem with Sonic is their 12 month contract

First month is free, and contract doesn't kick in until after that. For me the math worked:

Was paying $100/month for 20Mb Comcast. Now paying $40/month for 30Mb Sonic. Penalty for breaking the 12 month contract early is $150. So after 2.5 months of good service, I'm in the black even if I have to cancel early.

Anecdotally, their technicians were the smartest I've ever met. I learned a lot about DSL and how they get 30MB out of 2 lines. I also learned that my 2014 MacBook pro can't even handle more than ~20Mb over wifi. My iPhone 6S is now running at about 27Mb, and I get 35Mb when wired to the router. I'm in the Inner Richmond.

Re: Chicago and Los Angeles Are Next Up for Google Fiber

#102

Post by arjunnarayan »

WalterBright wrote: post #86

Sadly, Seattle bureaucracy has ruined google fiber here: http://crosscut.com/2014/12/google-fiber-never-come-seattle-...

I'm in Seattle, and I have gigabit (www.gowaveg.com) in my apartment. It's $80/month, and I get ~15ms latency to AWS West (Oregon). It's wonderful.

Wave G has an interesting model - they mainly hook up apartment buildings (it used to be called "Condo Internet"). They are experimenting with hooking up houses on the street as well - they're doing fiber to the home in the Eastlake area, but I don't know if that's working out yet.

I love them. When we moved to Seattle we only looked at apartments that had Wave G service. I'm going to be very sad when we move out of Seattle and have to return to normal Internet. But so far this model is encouraging, if non-inclusive to people outside the nice apartments.

Re: Chicago and Los Angeles Are Next Up for Google Fiber

#104

Post by jmesserly »

WalterBright wrote: post #86

Sadly, Seattle bureaucracy has ruined google fiber here: http://crosscut.com/2014/12/google-fiber-never-come-seattle-...

Well in 2014 they did finally repeal the rule that prevented the network hardware from being installed: http://www.geekwire.com/2014/seattle-approves-bill-allows-fi...

Then they fixed the TV franchise issues: http://www.geekwire.com/2015/seattle-city-council-approves-l...

As a result of the first CenturyLink started rolling out (expensive) fiber, and after the second CL started offering Prism TV. So I think most of the blocking issues have been fixed now. Remains to be seen if/when Google Fiber will reconsider Seattle.

Re: Chicago and Los Angeles Are Next Up for Google Fiber

#105

Post by Apocryphon »

monocasa wrote: post #100
Apocryphon wrote: post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

While we're at it, SF has also failed to "disrupt" its own housing crisis (until very recently), its infrastructural issues, its transport problems (well, I suppose ridesharing is the workaround), its flagrant income disparity issues, and the fact that the whole industry which has enabled remote work and teleconferencing is still shackled into this overcrowding, overpriced region.

> (until very recently) What happened?

I was referring to the pro-growth/housing measures that won in the municipal election last month. Though it's hardly disruption, as it is "finally dealing with."

Re: Chicago and Los Angeles Are Next Up for Google Fiber

#106

Post by ploxiln »

JumpCrisscross wrote: post #80
touchofevil wrote: post #21

I can't wait for this in LA. I'm currently paying $115 per month for 1Mbps/10Mbps for Time Warner "business class" internet-only service. My company does visual effects work, so I actually have to drive my video files home on a USB drive to upload them since my home connection is 20Mbps/200Mbps for $50 per month. The internet monopoly situation in the US is terrible for businesses here.

Strange—in New York I pay TWC $83 a month for 300/30. Edit: 300/20

Are you sure it isn't 300/20?

(also you have a pretty good deal - I have 200/20 for $80)

Re: Chicago and Los Angeles Are Next Up for Google Fiber

#107

Post by johnpowell »

snowwrestler wrote: post #38

I can't understand why Google hasn't picked Alexandria, VA. It's a small, fairly dense, highly educated city with high average household income. I bet the city government would welcome it. It's pretty much all Comcast right now, and the city is researching muni fiber. Plus it's right outside Washington DC and plenty of government officials live there. The effect of competition on broadband quality and price would be…

Possibly because we could all make arguments for why google could pick where we live to install fiber.

Re: Chicago and Los Angeles Are Next Up for Google Fiber

#108

Post by scott_karana »

mikeyouse wrote: post #48
scott_karana wrote: post #41

> Yes, San Francisco has been skipped again and I’m going to go cry into my slow internet from Comcast. I seriously still cannot get over how funny this is. SF pitches itself as the centre of the tech universe, and yet, it still hasn't "disrupted" its own crappy broadband infrastructure. (Much less the rest of the country's!) I'm sure there's many good reasons for Google passing them over, but that doesn't keep it fr…

Chris Sacca (of Twitter / Uber investing fame) spent months / years of his life working for Google trying to get San Francisco to agree to install free, city-wide WiFi paid for by Google. It didn't happen. http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/S-F-stalling-Wi-Fi-plans-...

Good for him! Glad to see people fighting the good fight.

Re: Chicago and Los Angeles Are Next Up for Google Fiber

#109

Post by Qiasfah »

snowwrestler wrote: post #38

I can't understand why Google hasn't picked Alexandria, VA. It's a small, fairly dense, highly educated city with high average household income. I bet the city government would welcome it. It's pretty much all Comcast right now, and the city is researching muni fiber. Plus it's right outside Washington DC and plenty of government officials live there. The effect of competition on broadband quality and price would be…

Does the city own its electric company?

This was part of the selection in a lot of the cities, since fiber can be run alongside existing electric supply lines.

Re: Chicago and Los Angeles Are Next Up for Google Fiber

#110

Post by blackguardx »

olivermarks wrote: post #76

I'm on Sonic 1 gigabit fiber in Sebastopol 50 miles north of San Francisco, one of the reasons we moved north from the city. Sonic are excellent and are building out in San Francisco in small areas.

I used to live in Santa Rosa (working for Agilent). Do you work remotely or have a job up there? The North Bay tech scene isn't as good as you think it would be.
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