[PLUG-TALK] PDX to get Google Fibre

[Russell Senior]

>>>>> "John" == John Jason Jordan <johnxj at comcast.net> writes:

John> On Wed, 19 Feb 2014 12:59:59 -0800 Michael Rasmussen
John> <michael at jamhome.us> dijo:

>> On Wed, Feb 19, 2014 at 12:15:43PM -0800, Pete Lancashire wrote:
>>> http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2014/02/exploring-new-cities-for-google-fiber.html
>>  We're in the running but it is not a done deal.

John> Which brings up the questions: Is anyone in Portland government
John> doing anything to provide the answers that Google needs in order
John> to bring fiber to Portland? If not, who do we light a bomb
John> under? If so, how are they doing, and is there anything that we
John> can do to help?

First off, before anyone gets too excited, this is just talk right
now.  Second, encouraging the City on this is not required.  They had
a plan to build their own fiber to the home network.  They know where
all the poles are, they know where the stuff would run.  More
importantly, and what is not being asked is: should we be so hot to
get Google to come here?

Yes, it would be a massive improvement in the competitive landscape in
Portland.  In the short-to-medium time horizon, it will certainly make
things (way?) better than the status quo.  However, in the long term,
Google Fiber will thwart what I believe is really necessary, unless
there are substantial changes at the federal level, which don't seem
very likely.

There is a substantial danger that Google will become just as evil as
Comcast, as monopolistic, and anti-competitive and more abusive of
your privacy.  I contend that last-mile infrastructure should be owned
by the users of the infrastructure.  Renting from a better landlord,
is still renting.  It still comes with whatever changable rules the
landlord wants to impose.  And once it's here, the business case for
building your own gets much, much worse.  We will all be dead before
it ever happens.

Something to bear in mind.


-- 
Russell Senior, President
russell at personaltelco.net