A physical site for one of Google’s ultra high-speed broadband networks has been chosen. The company announced today that it will build one network for the 850 or so homes that are part of Stanford University’s Residential Subdivision.
This move makes sense for a number of reasons. A post on the Official Google Blog explained, "Most important was Stanford’s openness to us experimenting with new fiber technologies on its streets."
Also, "The layout of the residential neighborhoods and small number of homes make it a good fit for a beta deployment." And location was a key consideration, since the short distance between the subdivision and Google’s headquarters means engineers can check things and interview users whenever they like.
Finally, we must point out that Stanford faculty and staff are perhaps more likely than the average individual to use their fancy Internet connections to make scientific breakthroughs rather than view porn or pirate movies.
Google’s announcement doesn’t mean that all the ordinary communities vying for ultra high-speed broadband networks are out of the running, though, as the Stanford network is a separate matter. So look for more statements about Internet speeds of 1 gigabit per second in the future.
Work on the Stanford network, meanwhile, is supposed to begin early next year.