Fiber no more — Google Fiber is Switching to Wireless

Google announced the provision of Fiber internet service in 2010, something that was highly welcomed as internet users were tired of paying huge amounts of money for slow speed internet connections. True to their word, the connections were super-fast, but the costs involved in its installation are quite high with continual issues trying to deploy fiber optics as one can imagine.

Since then, Google has worked in dozens of cities to put up the fiber infrastructure, which involves excavating, hanging fiber on telephone poles, installation to the customer premise etc.

Ultimately, this is quite an expensive and a lengthy process. Indeed, it was only possible to implement only in one metro area per year. The costs have further been compounded by the existing telecommunication companies who even sued Google Fiber to avoid sharing their utility poles. This has caused the technology giant to look for a cheaper, quicker, and a more feasible way to provide internet: Wireless technology, the same direction that Horizon Communications has decided upon.

Fiber projects adjourned and the acquisition of Webpass

Alphabet, which is Google’s parent company, has put Google Fiber projects on hold in San Jose, Portland, and California. Google states that the move to wireless is inevitable, it will not neglect existing markets and will continue signing up new customers with wireless instead of fiber. Plans are underway to provide cities such as Dallas, Los Angeles, and Chicago with wireless internet service. Wireless technology is less expensive as it does not require labor-intensive constructions, the issues with the telephone owners, current copper and fiber providers and much cheaper to roll out.

In October 2016, Google bought Webpass, a company that specializes in the provision of wireless internet that at speeds of 1GBps at around $60. Webpass uses antennas on a building’s rooftops to provide internet connections to both businesses and residences. Unlike in conventional ISPs where you would need to have a modem, with Webpass you only need to have a router where you can plug in an Ethernet cable and distribute the internet to your office or residence.

This will enable Google to tap into the already existing fiber optic infrastructure to provide wireless connectivity with such experiments already ongoing in Kansas City. The wireless connections are not meant to entirely eliminate the cable connections; rather it will complement it. The only drawback that Webpass has, and which probably Google Fiber will help fix is that it does not work for individual houses; it is building specific.

Google Fiber is not on its own in its implementation of wireless technology. Horizon Communications is also deploying very similar technology in the LTE standard to bring high-speed wireless connections as a means of bypassing the more expensive, slower legacy broadband.

Gilbert A Darrell is the Founder of Horizon. He has 18 years experience in information technology and telecom solutions, a veteran in Fire and EMS Services, a crypto enthusiast and a member of the Bermuda Government’s Cryptocurrency Task Force.

Horizon Communications is an upcoming fixed wireless internet and cellular service provider looking to provide services in Bermuda, the Caribbean, and Central America before expanding internationally.

While utilizing 4th generation and soon 5th generation wireless technology, it will also heavily incorporate blockchain and cryptocurrency technology, one of the 1st ISP’s in the world to do so and the 1st to tokenize their services using an Initial Coin Offering (ICO).

More information can be found on their website — www.HorizonComm.co