Google Delays Fiber Network Decision Until 2011

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Burlington Telecom and the Vermont Telecommunications Authority can cross one item off their Christmas wish list: An announcement from Google about which community will be home to an experimental high-speed fiber internet in the United States.

Google originally said it would make its decision by the end of the year, but last week the tech company announced it was delaying its decision until early 2011.

"We had planned to announce our selected community or communities by the end of this year, but the level of interest was incredible — nearly 1,100 communities across the country responded to our announcement — and exceeded our expectations. While we’re moving ahead full steam on this project, we’re not quite ready to make that announcement," said Milo Medin, Google's vice president of access services in a statement.

The city of Burlington filed an application earlier this year, as did the Vermont Telecommunications Authority. The VTA included this fun video in its submission. The building with the giant combination lock in the opening minute of the video is Burlington Telecom.

Other communities went to further extremes. Topeka, Kansas changed it's name to Google, Kansas. The city of Rancho Cucamonga, California dubbed its Google effort Rancho Googlemonga!

Google's pilot project aims to build, at Google's expense, an ultra high-speed (one gigabit to the residence) fiber network in one or several communities that will reach between 50,000 and 500,000 residences. Google does not intend to provide service to consumers. They will operate a wholesale network offering transport to any company (a phone company, Internet service provider, television or movie provider, etc.) at a cost.

Wait, a wholesale network open to any company who wants to pay for access to the network? Maybe Burlington Telecom should have thought of that.

Comments

[Tim]

I can't imagine any reason why a corporation like Google wouldn't want to partner with a wholesome, non swindling, non-defaulting City like Burlington.

[Is_It_Safe_Yet?]

Burlington: a top ten "safe" city -- except for TAXPAYERS. Merry Christmas to you, too, Bob.

[Bungalow Benchly]

Topeka, Kansas changed its name to Google, Kansas.

[Jimmy]

"Topeka, Kansas changed its name to Google, Kansas."

For a month.

Why would Google's announcement be on BT's wish list? The chances of their picking Burlington for this thing are approximately zero. If they did, they own the network, it has nothing to do with BT.