A Glitch in Google’s Fiber Plan

As you already know, Kansas Citians have recently been presented with the opportunity to enroll in Google Fiber services. Beginning with availability in core area neighborhoods deemed “fiberhoods,” this 100x speed internet service comes at a premium price, which many of us are willing to pony up for to reap the benefits.

Or so we thought.

What many of us had not considered up to this point is the unfortunate historical foundation on which this city was built. And no, I’m not talking about cows.

Any local urban planner knows about the Troost line, a very distinct boundary between black and white communities in Kansas City. Some might even say the extreme segregation is more severe here than in many other major metropolitan areas. What Troost Avenue also indicates is a line drawn between low-income and middle class neighborhoods.

 

This base map represents the race and ethnicity present in the Kansas City area, based on information from the 2000 Census. Each dot represents 25 people – Red is White, Blue is Black, Green is Asian, Orange is Hispanic, and Gray is Other. The distinct separation you see in the center between red and blue shows the stark segregation down Troost Ave.

For comparison, here are similar data maps for New York City, Los Angeles, St. Louis, Chicago, and Dallas.

So what does this have to do with Google Fiber? It all comes down to money. Predictions of a backlash are coming to a head in community meetings, citing a fear that neighborhoods west of the Troost line will be unable to fulfill the required pre-registration goal for each “fiberhood,” leaving these communities in the dark.

Here are the present Kansas City, Missouri side pre-registration standings. Again, you can see the distinct line between income tiers down Troost Avenue.

According to the Kansas City Star, “Not enough pre-registrations could mean there won’t be wiring to those neighborhoods’ schools, community centers, police stations, libraries — a range of public buildings that Google promised free access if goals were met. Not one school east of Troost has hit the percentage of pre-registrations of surrounding homeowners that Google deemed necessary to trigger the free hookups.”

To add insult to injury, the Kansas City public school system has already lost accreditation, and missing out on this opportunity to improve educational standards could prove fatal.

So what can we do to help?

Volunteers are going door-to-door in these low-income neighborhoods to spread information about what Google Fiber has to offer and what it can do for communities. Community leaders are also asking for assurance that Google won’t back out of providing the free hookups for libraries and schools if the paying customers never materialize. (Kansas City Star)

As of this week, The Social Media Club of Kansas City reports 4,089 more pre-registrations are necessary in Missouri and 1,749 in Kansas City, Kan., to turn all neighborhoods green. At $10 per registration, we’ll need to raise approximately $58,380 to apply for service for all Kansas City, MO and Kansas City, KS fiberhoods.

And this is just for pre-registration fees – not to mention the money needed for construction and service fees per home! But I suppose we’ll cross that bridge if and when we get there.

 Let’s do it for Kansas City!

Google Fiber Launched in Kansas City

Google announced today the launch of its Google Fiber service – a 1 gigabit internet speeds, available to Kansas City, KS and Kansas City, MO “fiber hoods.”

As demonstrated in the press conference, Google Fiber will enable internet speeds of 100 times faster than current internet speed.

Fast, right? But how fast? In comparison, if you two cars were to drive from downtown Kansas City to New York, by the time the faster car reached New York City, the slower car would have just made it to Kauffman Stadium. That’s how much faster Google Fiber is than broadband internet services.

Also in a surprise announcement, Google introduced its new TV service which includes “all your favorite channels,” all in HD, a sleek TV box, and a Nexus 7 tablet that acts as the remote control at no extra charge. In addition, the TV box acts as a hot spot for your internet devices, and according to the people at Google Fiber, you will never have dropped internet or TV service again.

What Google didn’t mention is they are not carrying channels from Disney (ESPN et al), Time Warner (HBO/CNN/TNT), or AMC (and some of my other favorite channels like HGTV, CartoonNetwork, and DIY Network). However they did mention that premium movie channels would be available for an extra fee. Click here and scroll to the bottom for the full list of channels.

Now here’s the interesting part. In order to get these services, the fiber optic construction has to be directly connected to your home or office, with a fee of $300. And in order to have your home or office connected, a good portion of your neighbors also have to pre-register for the service, which can be done at google.com/fiber.

So Google Fiber is running a 6 week rally, somewhat of a contest, to see which “fiber hoods” in the KCK and KCMO areas will receive service first. The “fiber hoods” that meet their pre-registrant goal will receive the service first.

Ok, ok. How much does it cost?

Google is offering three packages for service: internet and TV, internet only, or connection only.

1. Gigabit Internet and TV for $120 a month
2. Gigabit Internet only for $70 a month
3. Free internet (5 megabits down, 1 megabit up) for up to 7 years for a one-time $300 construction fee. With this package you can upgrade to Google Fiber at any time.

Additionally, the $300 construction fee will be waived for the first and second package plans if you sign up for a 2 or 1 year contract, respectively.

At this time, the areas available for service appear to be neighborhoods in Kansas City, MO, Kansas City, KS and parts of Wyandotte County. The rest of us will have to wait an estimated 1-3 years to get in on the good stuff.

Hopefully the TV channel list will be more extensive by then.

To learn more about Google Fiber and to experience it first hand, visit the Google Fiber space at 1814 Westport Rd., opening July 28th. *by reservation only*

Watch the full announcement here.

Google Fiber Construction Update

If you work or live in the Kansas City area, in the last week you’ve probably noticed Google workers out hanging fiber on utility poles and digging holes to install fiber underground.

Over 100 miles of fiber has been hung, and Kansas City is well on it’s way to getting faster, more efficient internet capabilities.

So how does it work?

According to Google’s Fiber Blog: Google will route fiber connections into Kansas City, KS and Kansas City, MO through several equipment aggregator huts. From there, the fiber cables will travel along utility poles into neighborhoods and homes. Every home that has Google Fiber service will have their very own fiber-optic cable that directly connects all the way back to the Internet backbone.

Google Fiber users will be able to download and upload files at the exact same speed, enabling users to upload large files in seconds rather than minutes or sometimes hours.

Sounds great, right? We’ll just have to be patient – the service won’t be ready for some time. The infrastructure must be completed throughout Kansas City before area homes can be connected to enjoy this incredibly fast internet.

I can’t wait!

Google’s Goggles

The futuristic scenes of Men in Black and Back to the Future are certainly coming upon us.

Rumors have been circulating about Google Glasses, which are designed to take virtual information and overlay it onto real-world images in real-time through a small screen worn inches from the wearer’s eyes.

These glasses are said to resemble “Oakley Thumps” rather than the otherworldly glasses of Terminator, although, I can’t imagine many fashion-conscious women donning these shades.

These sci-fi glasses, while not the first of their kind, are certainly the first product to be designed for mass consumption. They have been circulating for at least 10 years now through companies such as Sony and Vuzik, with prices range from $5k-$25k (out of the question for most of us).  Google’s goggles are rumored to be sold at near the average price of the existing Smartphone, anywhere from $250-$600 dollar a pair.

While not perhaps the most fashion forward, these glasses do have some impressive features. These shades will be equipped with 3G-4G connection, motion sensors, GPS, a low-resolution built in camera and Google software. Navigating the world of augmented reality will be done by the user simply tilting his head to scroll and click.  I can’t wait to see this in action! I imagine it will look something like this…

But what about people who wear glasses to improve their sight? So far, there has been no word on the level of compatibility these glasses will have with prescription glasses.

Some people are worried about the possibility of being under constant surveillance, given that people can record without being conspicuous. The team at Google has been internally discussing ways in which they can make it obvious to others when the glasses are recording.

Of course, Big Brother watches in more ways than just through a camera lens. It is certainly a possibility that Google will have the ability to access everything that the user views through the glasses in order to gather data related to the consumer’s lifestyle. This data could be used directly by Google to create advertisements geared toward the wearer’s location, activities, and possibly even physical movements themselves.

While many, if not most companies, have methods of collecting data on individuals in order to market products more effectively, consider the recent case with Target. Through data analytics and tracking purchases, the company was able to infer that a high-school girl was pregnant before her father even knew. The company used this information to send the girl coupons relating to maternity and baby care needs (much to the initial anger of her father). Target was able to do all of this simply through tracking her purchases.

Imagine the power over advertising Google could have if they are able to obtain information on EVERYTHING you do or are exposed to while wearing these glasses!

Not everyone seems horribly creeped out by this possibility, however. According to an online poll at androidandme.com, only 62% said that they would wear these goggles, 8% considers the idea stupid, and the other 30% remains uncertain on their feelings toward the glasses.

Sources say that Google is already working on new projects in regards to wearable computers, such as wrist straps. I wonder how long before Apple joins in the race of computerized accessories.

Google Glasses Coming to an Eyewear Stand Near You?

Google to Sell Heads-Up Display Glasses by Year’s End

Would you buy Google’s glasses?

How Target Figured Out A Teen Girl Was Pregnant Before Her Father Did

Android Users Rejoice!

After long hours of struggling with built-in and downloadable mobile browsers, Android users can breathe a sigh of relief (and hopefully their fingers can relax too!) with Google’s release of Chrome for mobile devices.

Not only does Chrome do away with the “fat finger” problem  with a link preview feature that zooms in to allow the user to easily select the intended link, but it can also sync between devices.

According to the New York Times, “Chrome’s mobile browser syncs seamlessly with Chrome’s desktop browser so that anyone surfing the Internet on their computer can pick up exactly where they left off on their phone and tablet — with the same tabs, same browsing history and same bookmarks.”

What does that mean? I’m glad you asked.

For Android users it means easier navigation between devices. Saw something on your desktop that you want check out on your phone or tablet? No problem. Chrome for mobile brings the ultimate desktop browsing capability to the mobile platform.

And the app is free. Just download to your phone, open the app, sign in with your Google account, and you’re on your way. This is so much easier than trying to navigate the web via Dolphin on my smart phone, and so far, it’s much faster.

Now if only touch pad typing on my mobile phone were as fast as typing on a real keyboard…

Get Ready for Ultra High-Speed Broadband, Kansas City

Today on Google’s official blog, the multi-national public corporation declared it has selected Kansas City, KS to be the recipient of their ultra high-speed network.

Last year Google announced this new project – “to provide a community with Internet access more than 100 times faster than what most Americans have today” – in an attempt to make the web better for users. Reportedly, nearly 1,100 cities “felt the need for speed” and responded to the project.

“In selecting a city, our goal was to find a location where we could build efficiently, make an impact on the community and develop relationships with local government and community organizations. We’ve found this in Kansas City. We’ll be working closely with local organizations including the Kauffman Foundation, KCNext and the University of Kansas Medical Center to help develop the gigabit applications of the future.”

But what does this development mean for Kansas City as the transformation from traditional broadband to ultra high-speed fiber optic connections? Will the city explode as the epicenter for all things IT?

We’re excited to see what the future brings.