The Whole Country has gone Googley!: [11th Mar 2010]

Google mania is still going strong in the US, as cities and towns across the country fight to be chosen for their high speed broadband trials. Google have already said that they have had a good number of submissions. Added to the recent renaming of Topeka to Google, is Duluth in Minnesota whose mayor jumped into a freezing Lake Superior to show his commitment to Google. He has also claimed that every first born male in the city would be known as Google Fiber and every first born girl: Googlette Fiber. Of course he points out this is a joke...Other towns and cities are less inclined towards these types of capers and are simply pointing out their diversity and their hopes for change. The winners will have to wait until later in the year to find out if they have secured the trial.


The FCC have commented at their Digital Inclusion Summit in Washington this week that they are considering using the wireless spectrum to offer free or very low cost broadband services. The summit focused on the goal of extending broadband to 90% of Americans by 2020 compared to the current 65%. Chairman of the FCC Julius Genochowski commented that broadband should offer opportunity to all and that the FCC will need to offer services to undeserved areas in a way which will not leave providers out of pocket. Also on the agenda was the FCC's plan to provide digital training to encourage use of the Internet and in particular to show the safest way to use the technology.


Broadband providers seem to be one step ahead of the FCC and have already formed a partnership to bring free broadband access and training to 1000 low income residents of St Louis. Charter Communications and One Economy and joined together with the local community to deliver the scheme. The chief executive of Charter points out that Internet access is the best way to open doors to job training, better health care and education. The scheme will cost $700,000 over a two year period and households who can participate will be identified through a community program known as Better Family Life.


Comtech Mobile Datacom, a part of Comtech Telecommunications Corp has received an order form the US Army to provide a $3.4m Movement Tracking System. The order is to supply the army with satellite capacity, hardware, engineering support and training and installation of the system. The company said that they are pleased to be working with the army and hope to provide future communication requirements. The point out that their communication options work when infrastructure is unavailable or too expensive.


Broadband provider Cisco has said that they have routers available which are capable of allowing everyone in China to make a video call at the same time. The company has launched its new large scale core router, the CRS-3 which is claimed to be 12x faster than its closest rival. They say the product will forever change the Internet for businesses, customers and the government. The Carrier Routing System is designed to be used by large scale providers and it's speed is measured in terra-bits per second, or trillion bits (compared to the more often used mega bits). Cisco say that this router could transmit every motion picture ever made in just 5 minutes. Field testing is currently underway and it is hoped the router could be available by the end of the year. Prices are expected to be around $90,000. So it isn't really for home use.


It has been revealed that broadband prices in the US are set to rise even higher. The US is already more expensive than other countries, but this hasn't prevented Comcast from increasing prices for their New Jersey customers by $2 a month. AT&T have also revealed plans to up their prices recently. In response the Free Press have released statement arguing that new rules need to be put in place and that the FCC need to encourage proper competition. They say that the fact that many people only have a choice between a fixed line or cable means that it is difficult to say that true competition exists.


Verizon is looking to push its 4G network across the country after initial tests showed peak download rates were as high as 50Mbps. Despite average rates at a more reasonable 5 to 12Mbps, Verizon is still hoping to cover 25% of the whole US market with 4G coverage. This would make them one of the fastest providers in the US.