Google Building Its Own Fiber Internet?
The TimesOnline says they’ve hear rumors that Google is using dark fiber to build an alternative to the Internet. Just want to remind everyone I speculated on that three days ago, that Google is ready to turn on the dark fiber if the telcos want to charge providers, like Google, extra for high-speed delivery.
Google is working on a project to create its own global internet protocol (IP) network, a private alternative to the internet controlled by the search giant, according to sources who are in commercial negotiation with the company.
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A leading content provider, who did not wish to be named, told Times Online: “We are in discussions with Google to provide content for their alternative internet service, to be distributed through their Google Cube product. As far as I’m aware they have been conducting negotiations with a number of other players in our marketplace to provide quality content to their users.”
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Should Google successfully launch an alternative network, it is is theoretically possible for them to block out competitor websites and only allow users to access websites that have paid Google to be shown to their users.
Since these rumours started circulating I’ve been thinking heavily about the idea of Google bootstrapping their own “internet”. At first I was really disappointed in the guys at Google. But then it occurred to me that they might be doing it all for the right reasons, and that maybe they aren’t trying to set up their own walled garden like people suspect. Maybe they’re trying for a ground up takeover?
See http://www.babilim.co.uk/blog/2006/02/internet-or-intranet.html
Comment by Alasdair Allan | February 5, 2006