Comments
Seriousness of intent
Ultimately, challenging the incumbents to do better is a Good Thing, but Google isn't even half-hearted about Google Fiber -- it's more like quarter-hearted or tenth-hearted. The first trial was in 2011, and five years later it's available in only a small handful of cities and the service has a customer count in the low six-digits. In five years, AT&T and Verizon had U-verse and FiOS, respectively, available to millions of homes and had customer counts well into 7-digits.
Google Fiber might have been a market force, but somebody at Google would have had to decide to try, and I haven't seen any evidence that such a decision has been made.
--Brian Santo
Alison
3/30/2016 9:04:28 AM
User Rank Silver
Re: Seriousness of intent
I agree with Brian. I'm in Central Florida, where we're anxiously awaiting Verizon FiOS to compete with Brighthouse (now owned by TWC). Google isn't even a consideration given its extremely limited footprint around the country. I vaguely recall Orlando pitching itself to Google for Fiber; the nearest city on the 'possible' contenders map is Tampa. And I think that's the only city in the entire state of Florida. Given Google's vast wallet, if it was serious about this market, it could have covered much more of the country by now.
Re: Seriousness of intent
@Alison: This is how you build an irrational urge and desire for the product/service -- keeping it largely unavaiable geographically.
Same thing with Sonic. There used to be no Sonic around here (Boston area), but boy did Sonic have tons of ad buys on all the local stations. Sonic commercials at every commercial break -- sometimes more than one per commercial break!
All of us wanted Sonic. We needed Sonic. We craved Sonic.
Finally, a few years ago, a Sonic opened in Peabody on Route 1 (north of the city a few miles). Lines of cars were backed up onto the highway.
I rarely see Sonic ads anymore.
afwriter
3/30/2016 1:07:03 AM
User Rank Platinum
Really?
I am sure they have a plan; there is a reason why Google is a multi-billion dollar company and I am still paying off a 2004 Passat, but rolling out a traditional phone service seems like a step backwards. How many people under the age of 40 do you know that actually have a home phone? I have 2 young daughter and when it comes time to need that "home phone" we will just add another line to our mobile plan and keep that phone in the kitchen.
dmendyk
3/30/2016 9:35:06 AM
User Rank Platinum
Re: Really?
afwriter -- I'm guessing your mobile phone bill is somewhere far north of $10 a month.
Re: Really?
These are all markets that Google cherry picked for its 1-Gig service, which means affluent neighborhoods that expressed an interest in Google's service via online sign ups. To Brian's point, I've wondered about Google's endgame as well with TV, broadband and now a phone service.
dmendyk
3/30/2016 10:25:08 AM
User Rank Platinum
Re: Really?
There's a huge assumption that everything a company like Google does is planned and coordinated to the nth degree. Sometimes, stuff just happens. To this point, we have Google rolling out an early 20th-century service (albeit with newish technology) while at the same time it's pullling back from robotics. It's a Where's Waldo moment, to be sure.
JohnBarnes
3/31/2016 8:01:34 AM
User Rank Platinum
Re: Really?
dmendyk, have to agree. Most companies that set out to conquer markets take a Napoleonic/U.S. Grant approach: map out the territory you want to own, drive into it in a planned, coherent way, seize the key points early, etc. Google's corporate culture has always favored an approach more like the expansion of the British Empire, the westward expansion in the US, or the barbarian invasions of the Roman Empire: a lot of lower level leaders opportunistically grabbing whatever is next to them and trying to grab more from there, being slapped down or rewarded more or less according to success. So my guess for what Google is "up to" is that the Fiber Phone is the product of a long period when it just kept making the cut for possible cost/possible reward ratio. Very much like Google itself, or Chrome, or acquiring YouTube, etc.
batye
4/1/2016 3:37:38 AM
User Rank Platinum
Re: Really?
@JohnBarnes interesting point.... remind me of the time - few weeks ago I chated with my gamers friends about steam gaming service - http://store.steampowered.com/ it like if you buy game do own it or it only access/right to play it....??? somehow I see the same question with Google... and Google Play???
freehe
4/26/2016 9:01:32 PM
User Rank Platinum
Re: Really?
mhhf1ve, spam and telemarketing filtering would be a great feature. This is great that Google is continuing to expand its reach but I am not interested in using Google fiber. I don't want to experience the learning curve and growing pains. I will stick with the industry leaders for now.
Michelle
3/30/2016 2:40:20 PM
User Rank Platinum
Re: Really?
@Mike I think they're leaning toward the cable provider side. They've got access to a lot of content with Google Play and YouTube Red. They're adding different businesses to the bucket to form a new entertaining/communication thing. Then there's also that data-gathering thing they do... On second thought, maybe they are building Skynet but don't know it yet.
vnewman
3/31/2016 3:20:33 PM
User Rank Platinum
Re: Really?
@Michelle - you aren't the only one who feels that way. If you Google, "Is Google becoming SkyNet?" It is actually a "thing" - Google even autofills it for you...hmmm...suspicious.
freehe
3/31/2016 8:06:02 PM
User Rank Platinum
Re: Really?
ms.akkineni, I have a landline as well for my security alarm. I think it is a bad move to deliver a limited product like Google Fiber for home phones. If you aren't going to offer all of the featuers of other providers such as Verizon what's the point.
batye
4/1/2016 3:32:42 AM
User Rank Platinum
Re: Really?
@freehe I would say it always good to have backup as in my case I always have two post paid cellphones, one prepaid cellphone, cables VOIP, land line and in the basement two CB radios... my alarm is stand alone system attached to UPS with two Alarms speakers on each floor... plus on each floor I have emergency light and strobe lights... but I live in rural area... as some of the people do not have even landlines - only CB radios...
Michelle
3/31/2016 10:29:01 PM
User Rank Platinum
Re: Really?
@VNewman it's shocking how good Skynet Google is at predicting my searches!
batye
4/1/2016 3:27:34 AM
User Rank Platinum
Re: Really?
@Michelle I do see the same trend with my google search... should I be worried???
vnewman
4/1/2016 5:48:47 PM
User Rank Platinum
Re: Really?
@Michelle - I asked Siri what she thought:
Me: "Do you think Google is becoming Skynet?"
Siri: "It's your opinion that counts Vnewman."
:)
Re: Really?
@Michelle: They hire talented people there. ;) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blB_X38YSxQ
Michelle
4/4/2016 2:32:08 PM
User Rank Platinum
Re: Really?
@Joe I haven't seen that before now - thanks for sharing! Mystery solved :) Humans run the internets, not robots. What a relief!
Re: Really?
Hi my question is how is the voice service going to work when those people lose their power. Like that of the telco they use the central office as a way to power their voice, and know with Verizon FiOS they have a battier back up. I read that you are able to use your cellphone does that work though the cloud service and does that also cover life line and e911 service
dlr5288
3/31/2016 3:07:19 PM
User Rank Platinum
Re: Really?
That's a very good question.
I was wondering the same thing. I'm a Verizon customer and I know of their backup. Yes, if the power does go off I was thinking about what their backup is. I still think the Fiber Phone can go places and become something bigger.
afwriter
3/30/2016 11:13:10 AM
User Rank Platinum
Re: Really?
That is a really good point, however my mobile phone is also cable, internet, and phone all in one so when you think about it that way...
dmendyk
3/30/2016 11:22:05 AM
User Rank Platinum
Re: Really?
Right -- it's kind of shocking how much consumers and businesses pay for basic comm services in aggregate. On the bright side, it means less money is available to support a cigarette habit, among other things.
Re: Really?
@afwriter:
I see what you are saying. And that is happening in many households lately.
To answer your question, Yes, We are one such household that still are holding on to a land line. We have Verizon FIOS and part of the package is the VOIP land line. Somehow I prefer to have it and I don't see myself giving that away anytime soon.
JohnBarnes
3/30/2016 7:04:56 AM
User Rank Platinum
The dream of the better mousetrap
Emerson's (or at least crowdsource-based Emerson's) aphorism about building a better mousetrap and the world beating a path to your door has probably been quoted by everyone who went looking for money in technical advances since Emerson's time. Oddly, though it may be inspiring as philosophy for the innovators, it is nonsense as economics for the entrepreneur: people who already own perfectly adequate mousetraps do not necessarily want to invest in catching two more mice per decade, or free up time in their busy day from emptying the traps, or even spend less per trap when they replace it (if it is already very cheap or replaced only infrequently and ad hoc). But the dream remains that somehow you're going to get rich by replacing a common item with a slightly superior one.
People talk on scratchy phones all day long (indeed organizations spend a fair amount of time trying to stop them); will they change everything and add extra hassles for less scratchiness? Buy more things that appear in ads on devices bundled with their less scratchy phone? Where are the mice big enough or numerous enough to make a better trap worth the job of hacking through the woods to get to the lone inventor's cabin?
elizabethv
3/30/2016 7:54:15 AM
User Rank Platinum
A phone service?
The number of people I know with phones outside of their cell phones I can literally count on one hand. And while I occasionally see benefits to having a house phone, they generally center around the fact that it would be easier for my 3-year-old to only have to memorize one phone number than to worry about him having to memorize both mine and his dad's phone number. I can't imagine this is a move to meet an overwhelming demand for home phones. (Maybe people really want to be able to fill in that section on forms?) But if it isn't a move to meet such a demand, what is the reason for it? So that you can officially say you offer all three services? To offer a discount to customers who choose to "bundle" that isn't really a "discount" and instead makes Google more money? I would imagine expansion is good, but to me this just seems out of place.
clrmoney
3/30/2016 12:23:14 PM
User Rank Platinum
Google Fiber
This is great that google is doing this offering a phone which menas more data or services or gigabytes.
Michelle
3/30/2016 2:36:15 PM
User Rank Platinum
Fair price
I remember when $15 a month was a good price for landline service. This will be a nice addition to the product offering. I would be more excited about it if Google Fiber were available in more areas - like mine.
dlr5288
3/30/2016 4:28:25 PM
User Rank Platinum
Re: Fair price
Yes, I agree.
I think not only is this a good idea, but the price is low which is an obvious plus. I think it fits the situation especially since they're trying to get consumers on board and bring in more clients.
dlr5288
3/30/2016 4:25:40 PM
User Rank Platinum
A Good Thing
I think it's a good move on Google Fiber's part. They seem like they're trying to expand their devices and bring in more customers with this Fiber Phone. Even though it doesn't have many of the same amentities that other phones might, I think it's a step in the right direction and they can make progress with this phone.
clrmoney
4/4/2016 11:27:34 AM
User Rank Platinum
Gigabytes
I wonder how many gigabytes do this fiber phone has to offer.
clrmoney
4/4/2016 11:29:06 AM
User Rank Platinum
Monthly Fiber Phone
I think that would be a good idea to offer the service of $10.00 a month for this fiber phone or is that how the service has to offer etc.
mhhf1ve
4/5/2016 2:49:49 PM
User Rank Platinum
What is the benefit to Google here?
It seems strange to see this, given that there are numerous VOIP providers that exist already. Google could be just grabbing some minor revenue, but is it really worth it to Google? Other ISPs offer triple play and other such bundles for loyalty, but I don't think Google Fiber needs the loyalty tricks to keep its customers. (I assume most of Google Fiber's customers would not want to switch -- or can't because there are no other gigabit speed providers.)
Adding a home phone service seems like just another customer support issue for Google to take on... and perhaps some federal communications issues liability, too?
I assume Google doesn't get any federal subsidies for phone connections.....?
mhhf1ve
4/5/2016 2:53:30 PM
User Rank Platinum
Google Voice is awesome...
I do wish that more telco services were like Google Voice... (not just free, but offering the same features.) I don't know why more phone services don't provide call forwarding to other numbers. Or call filtering! Being able to route unknown callers to a spam folder is the best thing ever.
Re: Google Voice is awesome...
I get simultaneous call forwarding with my provider, so that's pretty nifty. I think call forwarding has become huge in the past few years. And mobile providers have come around to call-blocking, finally.
dlr5288
4/25/2016 8:25:57 PM
User Rank Platinum
Re: Google Voice is awesome...
Yes I agree!
Call filtering can be so useful and really a time saver. It is strange to me that more businesses don't provide this feature. I'm thinking it would bring in more interested consumers.
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