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

Google Fiber Austin

fiber.google.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

71–80 of 157 posts

Re: Google Fiber Austin

#71

Post by [deleted] »

josu wrote: post #58
shittyanalogy wrote: post #43

Damn, one time $300 fee for "Up to" 5 Mbps download and 1 Mbps upload. That's like getting free internet for 6 and a half years[1] from current providers after 6 months. And if you want to upgrade you've already got the hardware. I wonder what the minimum time of undercutting at a loss service they can offer is without it being considered anti-competitive. [1] They guarantee 7 years of free service https://fiber.goog…

Is there any evidence that they are operating at a loss? For 2013 Comcast reported 13.5 billion operating income on 64.6 revenue [1]. This means that they could potentially lower their prices 20% without incurring in losses. If we assume that Google is able to operate more efficiently, which isn't such a bold assumption, they could potentially undercut prices even more. On top of that, we could also assume that in te…

[deleted]

Re: Google Fiber Austin

#72

Post by bicknergseng »

baddox wrote: post #45
intopieces wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's surprising. I thought the FCC banned those types of deals: http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2009/05/federal-court-uph...

I don't know the details, but apparently the deal had something to do with the wiring of the building when it was constructed in 2008. There have been resident meeting discussing the issue, and apparently the only way to support other ISPs is to pay for new separate wiring in the building, which I'm sure the building management will not do (given the housing demand situation in SF).

Pretty good chance we live in the same building. I've called our building rep a couple of times to try and pressure them into turning up the speeds, but no luck so far.

Re: Google Fiber Austin

#73

Post by bicknergseng »

na85 wrote: post #16
cmsmith wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is sad that with all the would-be entrepreneurs flocking to Silicon Valley and looking for startup ideas, they all shy away from 'hard' problems like disrupting the current ISP model.

It's easier to write a javascript framework than it is to solve the hard problems.

If by easier you mean "doesn't require vast amounts of capital" then yah.

Re: Google Fiber Austin

#74

Post by rhino369 »

wmf wrote: post #63
josu wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is there any evidence that they are operating at a loss? For 2013 Comcast reported 13.5 billion operating income on 64.6 revenue [1]. This means that they could potentially lower their prices 20% without incurring in losses. If we assume that Google is able to operate more efficiently, which isn't such a bold assumption, they could potentially undercut prices even more. On top of that, we could also assume that in te…

Everybody other than Google reports that installing fiber costs over $1,000 per home, but Google is selling it for $300 and saying "trust us".

There are really two costs for installing fiber. The cost to drag it past your house, which is expensive, probably over 1000. And the cost to bring it from your curb to your house. I've heard 500 for that, but it could around 300. Or google could just think of it as an advertising cost.

Re: Google Fiber Austin

#75

Post by r00fus »

psychometry wrote: post #20
cmsmith wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is sad that with all the would-be entrepreneurs flocking to Silicon Valley and looking for startup ideas, they all shy away from 'hard' problems like disrupting the current ISP model.

I think that smart people in both business and technology are attracted to hard problems that are intellectually challenging. Dealing with the corruption and the entrenched bureaucracy of local, state, and federal governments doesn't qualify as an "interesting" problem for these types of people. It's why you don't see many scientists in elected office.

It couldn't have anything to do with the fact that those fighting corruption are so often tarred and feathered and hung up as examples?

Just take a look at Aaron Swartz, Chelsea Manning or Edward Snowden.

Re: Google Fiber Austin

#76

Post by wcchandler »

Why don't we see more startups in the fiber-to-the-premises realm? Is cost really that high and difficult to obtain? HN has led me to believe that a good idea with motivated founders will get funded, no matter what. And I can't think of a better time to enter this market.

Re: Google Fiber Austin

#77

Post by sandstrom »

jamesblonde wrote: post #68
NietTim wrote: post #64

Welcome to the 21st century, Austin!

Not really. In Stockholm, I have 250Mb down, 100Mb up. Costs 50 bucks/month.

I think these two graphs are interesting. Fiber and low prices for broadband seems to be correlated (Japan, Korea). Unfortunately there isn't more data points in the Economist graph.

I think it helps if the fiber is owned by a party other than the access provider, e.g. the community or city, to avoid having a monopoly squeeze out all the consumer surplus.

How will this work with Google Fiber?

http://cdn.static-economist.com/sites/default/files/imagecac...

http://www.nbr.co.nz/sites/default/files/images/oecd-broadba...

Full html pages (where images were found): - http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/oecd-broadband-stats-show-nz-im... - http://www.economist.com/blogs/schumpeter/2014/03/telecoms-m...

Re: Google Fiber Austin

#78

Post by tinalumfoil »

shittyanalogy wrote: post #43

Damn, one time $300 fee for "Up to" 5 Mbps download and 1 Mbps upload. That's like getting free internet for 6 and a half years[1] from current providers after 6 months. And if you want to upgrade you've already got the hardware. I wonder what the minimum time of undercutting at a loss service they can offer is without it being considered anti-competitive. [1] They guarantee 7 years of free service https://fiber.goog…

> That's like getting free internet for 6 and a half years from current providers after 6 months.

Is internet in Kansas really that bad? I'm paying $50/month for 30/21 (I'm paying for 25/25 but oh well) here in New Jersey [0]. I can't imagine doing much with that internet besides basic web browsing. Even low-res video is choppy at that speed.

[0] http://www.speedtest.net/my-result/3952406450

Re: Google Fiber Austin

#79

Post by rayiner »

josu wrote: post #58
shittyanalogy wrote: post #43

Damn, one time $300 fee for "Up to" 5 Mbps download and 1 Mbps upload. That's like getting free internet for 6 and a half years[1] from current providers after 6 months. And if you want to upgrade you've already got the hardware. I wonder what the minimum time of undercutting at a loss service they can offer is without it being considered anti-competitive. [1] They guarantee 7 years of free service https://fiber.goog…

Is there any evidence that they are operating at a loss? For 2013 Comcast reported 13.5 billion operating income on 64.6 revenue [1]. This means that they could potentially lower their prices 20% without incurring in losses. If we assume that Google is able to operate more efficiently, which isn't such a bold assumption, they could potentially undercut prices even more. On top of that, we could also assume that in te…

Comcast is reporting 20% operating income for a network that is largely already paid for. There's reasons to believe that Verizon isn't doing a great job recouping it's up-front costs on FiOS: http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/11_13/b42210461.... For the FiOS rollout, the capital costs alone are $1,000-2,000 per house: http://nypost.com/2010/04/01/why-i-think-verizon-had-to-pull....

There's no reason to believe that Google's per-household costs are any less. These companies all likely outsource to the same local companies that put fiber in the ground. To the extent that Google has an advantage, it's with uptake rates. Verizon and Comcast have to wire whole cities, pursuant to build-out clauses in local franchises. Google refuses to accept such clauses, and only builds in neighborhoods with demonstrated interest. The economics of building fiber make this a huge advantage. Most of the cost of building the network is in passing by the house, which is a cost you pay whether or not the house subscribes. If your uptake rate is 40% versus 20%, your per-house capital cost drops dramatically.

Re: Google Fiber Austin

#80

Post by Someone1234 »

The business account is $30 more, which is normal (presumably goes to better support, no word on improved upload/ratios?). But I will say it is a little odd that it doesn't ship with at least one static IP. Plus $30 per IP is kind of crazy.

Most host providers, even REALLY inexpensive ones, charge $3-5/month/IP. So I consider $20-30 a massive markup for something pretty useful for a business account.

Post reply on HN