(no subject)

[arethinn]

Google Fiber for Communities

Google is planning to launch an experiment that we hope will make Internet access better and faster for everyone. We plan to test ultra-high speed broadband networks in one or more trial locations across the country. Our networks will deliver Internet speeds more than 100 times faster than what most Americans have access to today over 1 gigabit per second, fiber-to-the-home connections.

You know what's sad is that even though Google is practically next door to me, I'm almost certain this isn't going to be available at my house any time soon, if ever. It was only just this time last year that there was finally DSL penetration to my street, I assume because of the technical limitations of the phone system cabling (we are basically on the back 40 of the loop from central office). I'm not holding my breath for fiber to be installed around here.

Comments

[amberite.livejournal.com]

Heh. I remember when I lived around there and had dial-up!

[arethinn]

:P

That's right, I said "and the horse you rode in on."

Gawd, yeah. I remember you had some freebie dialup that was ad-supported or something, once? J-something my brain is saying the service was called...?

[amberite.livejournal.com]

I went through various and sundry. I kept wanting to use little companies instead of big ones, but the trouble with little companies was that they tended to go up in little poofs of smoke, especially around then. Let's see: Netcom was my first ISP, then PSN.net - which I found had declared bankruptcy only after access vanished and their helpline was gone during business hours! (Heh. Just dug up the article about this fiasco.)

I think I used Netzero for a while in between there (that was a free, ad-supported one) and then I used Toast.net for a few years. Of the dialup providers I dealt with, I think they were my favorite; had a good attitude and an equitable sense of how much one should pay for dialup, and they still exist (I kept my email address with them for a few years after I switched over to DSL.) The only way I found out about them was that when PSN died and I was using Netzero, a friend on a MUSH said "Hey! Try the ISP I work for!" I did, and it decidedly didn't suck.

[arethinn]

Ah, Netzero, that's what I was thinking of. I think I was trying to say Juno; dunno why.

[amberite.livejournal.com]

Apparently they used to offer free Internet service too - and still do, according to the Wikipedia entry, which says they offer 10 hours/month free ad-supported access - and they merged with NetZero in 2001. So I can see why!

[elegantblackcat.livejournal.com]

Reminds of the time Google was going to create free wireless access all over San Francisco.

[arethinn]

Ha, yeah, good point.