In an effort to reduce the cost and time required to connect homes to the Google Fiber network, the company has developed a device that will enable rapid connection to homes without the hassle and cost of digging. In the patent application, Google stated that current connection method “requires significant effort and time” and indicated that the new method would utilize a narrow edging strip that is similar to decorative wall molding. The molding strips, which can be run along a driveway, placed in a crack, pressed into the ground, or buried into a shallow trench that is cut in the ground, will simultaneously reduce the likelihood of property damage and limit environmental impact.
Eric Schmidt, Google’s former CEO and the current chairman of the board, said the following regarding the future of fiber networks in a recent interview:
“By 2020, fiber networks will be deployed in almost every city, delivering peak speeds of 1 gigabit a second, and 300 to 500 megabits a second sustained performance. This is something Google is already making happen in Kansas City, Kansas, where we’re building a super-fast fiber network.”
Since Google has consistently promised one gigabit speeds for the Kansas City Google Fiber network, Schmidt’s statement to expect 1 gigabit a second performance by 2020 confused analysts and local residents. However, a Google spokesperson assured analysts that Schmidt was speaking generically about the future of fiber networks and reaffirmed that the network will launch with 1-gigabit speeds in Kansas City later this year.
When Google Fiber launches this summer, the fiber network is expected to provide Internet connection speeds 100 times faster than the average connection speed. In addition to providing blazing Internet speeds, Google has already indicated that they plan to use the ultra-fast fiber network to provide consumers with a pay-TV service.
Now, the big question: When will Google add its fiber network to additional cities?
[Sources Include: Kansas City Star & Fierce Cable]
