Google hasn't offered too many details about this "development agreement" with the city, but Milo Medin said in an interview following the announcement that Google "will be delivering service as a service provider." But they've previously said this network would be open, suggesting that other ISPs (even ones that would compete with Google's own offer) can offer service off it so long as they pay tribute to Google. JB
The story isn't surprising. KC has a lot of aerial plant and available duct. Unlike Verizon and some of the Tier 3s who've done FTTH, they probably can't overlash on existing metallic cable. But pulling and tensioning strand isn't that expensive.
I'm still waiting to see if they're doing PON (and which flavor), pt-pt or active Ethernet.
That would be my first guess. But I'm not jumping to conclusions.
They can also get a Gig with active Ethernet or 10GEPON. I think either Novera or Corecess has a 1G WDM PON. And I'd argue they could even fairly claim 1G with GPON with a GigE interface on the ONT and 1G rate caps, maybe at 16:1 split.
You're right about building vs. operating and maintaining. My GoogleWiFi connection never works. I think this is another half-thought out idea from some google employee. This is the downside of that "one day off to come up with good ideas" entitlement for google employees. Every good idea is pursued 60% of the way and then we consumers get dumped before we get a real product.
Chrome, google voice, chat, chromeOS, etc. Software doorstops, all of them.
I don't use gmail because I have a yahoo id from way back, and I don't like the ads they target at me. I don't install google toolbar and their indexer because I'm paranoid about what they want to find out about me. The only thing I use is google maps, but now that's getting creepy because they show me a starter location that is close to where I am. I also use google search, but that's also getting a little creepy.
I'll bet brookseven's paycheck that it's PtP Ethernet. Unbundling GPON is problemetic. And PtP Ethernet is the favored currency of the non-incumbent (i.e., Google) crowd.
For TDM/TDMA PON, you don't unbundle the fiber from the transport. You unbundle the transport from the service. So the wholesale service is a VPN. As Seven says, it' not like unbundling copper with UNE-L.
For WDM PON, you unbundle wavelengths.
Seven raises the point of resource management. It's certainly a technical issue, but I'd argue that core principles of non-discrimination and transparency would lead to appropriate scheduling disciplines and provisioning practices.
The only real issue with unbundling all of this stuff is where are the points of oversubscription and how are they managed. I agree with Duh that it is quite doable on GPON. I believe most people think of unbundling and think of a UNE-L model. However a more virtual model like Project Pronto had has its advantages for ISPs that are using it - like getting a concentrated interface instead of having to provide the concentrator. It also has its downsides - like you can not offer whatever willy nilly service you want but have to fall into well known buckets.
Google hasn't offered too many details about this "development agreement" with the city, but Milo Medin said in an interview following the announcement that Google "will be delivering service as a service provider." But they've previously said this network would be open, suggesting that other ISPs (even ones that would compete with Google's own offer) can offer service off it so long as they pay tribute to Google. JB