Google announced on Wednesday that it plans to create and test ultra high-speed broadband networks in a small number of trial locations across the United States.
The network connections will deliver Internet speeds of 1 gigabit per second with fiber direct to the home connections. Google says it plans to offer service at a competitive price to at least 50,000 and potentially up to 500,000 people. In a company blog posting Google outlined their vision:
- Next generation apps: We want to see what developers and users can do with ultra high-speeds, whether it"s creating new bandwidth-intensive "killer apps" and services, or other uses we can"t yet imagine.
- New deployment techniques: We"ll test new ways to build fiber networks, and to help inform and support deployments elsewhere, we"ll share key lessons learned with the world.
- Openness and choice: We"ll operate an "open access" network, giving users the choice of multiple service providers. And consistent with our past advocacy, we"ll manage our network in an open, non-discriminatory and transparent way.
Google says the projects aim is to experiment and learn but if it is successful then the company could look at rolling this out further. Google has put out a request for information and is encouraging governments and communities to nominate themselves for the trial. Google said it will announce their target communities later this year.