kansas city

Google says we're so sorry Kansas City and yanks fiber

21 March 2017 by Steve Blum
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Grab the Google rabbit by the tail and face the situation.

Google’s vague pledge to complete fiber networks it was already building is worthless, it turns out. According to a story by KHSB-TV, residents of some Kansas City neighborhoods who signed up for service but never received it are getting cancellation notices from Google…

Hello,

Thanks for signing up for Google Fiber. Although we’ve been working hard to bring you service, we’re unable to build our network to connect your home or business at this time.

… More

Google Fiber tries cheaper service tier in Kansas City

12 April 2016 by Steve Blum
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Google Fiber is pulling its 5 Mbps data plan off the market in Kansas City. It’s often mischaracterised as free, but it wasn’t quite that. The deal was that people living in a soon-to-be blessed fiberhood could pay a $300 installation fee and get 5 Mbps service for seven years. Speculation is that Google Fiber is trying to pump up revenue by steering low end subs to a $50 a month, 100 Mbps plan with free installation.… More

Google picks the right neighborhoods to build fiber in Kansas City

7 May 2014 by Steve Blum
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Google Fiber strategy of cherry picking neighborhoods in the Kansas City area seems to be working. A study done by an investment research company shows that 75% of the homes in medium to high income areas that are passed by Google Fiber are subscribing to it (h/t to Fred Pilot at Eldo Telcom for the pointer). In low income areas, the study claims that 30% of homes passed are taking Google’s service.

Bernstein Research commissioned the study, which involved knocking on the doors of 350 homes in Google’s current – and limited – service area.… More

Wealthy city discovers Google Fiber has the power to say no, too

Google plays through when Overland Park misses its tee time.

Google Fiber’s take on cherry picking seems to be to leave rich but stroppy communities to the tender mercies of cable and telephone companies, while building where the municipal welcome wagon drives out to meet them. Overland Park, a Kansas City suburb with lots of prosperous people and good paying jobs, appears to have to permanently gone to the back of the fiber construction line – if not out of it completely – because the city council dragged its feet when it came time to sign a contract.… More

Google says tear down local policy barriers to get faster broadband

28 October 2013 by Steve Blum
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No red tape to be seen.

“In Kansas City, my crews don’t wait for inspectors, the inspectors wait for them”, said Milo Medin, the head of Google Fiber. “We work with communities that make it easy for us. if you make it hard on us, enjoy your cable connection.”

Medin spoke last week to organisations funded by the California Emerging Technology Fund at a meeting hosted by Google in Mountain View. His message was that upgrading broadband infrastructure, improving service and lowering costs is an economic driver that should be proactively supported by policy makers and public agencies.… More