Google Fiber: Broadband Rollout Update

How is the Google Fiber rollout going, and where might the search giant head next in the managed broadband services market? Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) CEO Larry Page and CFO Patrick Pichette offered some clues this evening during the company's earnings call with analysts. Here's what MSPs need to know.

As MSPmentor reported recently, Google is busying hiring NOC (network operations center) experts for the broadband initiative. The initial Google Fiber deployment, in Kansas City, claims to be 100 times faster than traditional broadband and could set the stage for entirely new managed services.

A financial analyst today asked Google for some updated thoughts on Google Fiber. Page's reply:

"Well, I think it's been great to see the success there with the initial Fiber rollout. Now we are still in the very early stages of it. Obviously, we are going to a small number of people and so, but we are excited about the possibilities there of getting people kind of give you the experience and really great internet experience."

Pichette  then weighed in and tried to set expectations for the highly targeted nature of Google Fiber. He said:

"We are really focused on Kansas City right now and you've probably seen in the press. It's called now the Silicon Prairie. It's got a lot of press, because we've started to roll out, we started the implementation and the installs. We are growing up in terms of installs weeks after week and people just love the product. So, you are absolutely right...that we are really excited about this product and it's been a great success overall.

Pichette then said Google Fiber is more than a hobby:

"We really think that we should be making good business with this opportunity and we are going to continue to look at the possibility of expanding, but right now we just got to nail because we are in the early days. We just got to nail Kansas City. It's a perfect place for us to kind of debug all of the elements of the product and the experience for the users, but all-in-all, what a great opportunity to deliver kind of 100 times the average feed and that's what people are just dying to get everywhere."

So at some point, MSPs in the Kansas City area will likely be running services over Google Fiber. And the pipe will be 100 times wider than traditional broadband. Imagine the possibilities. And imagine if Google takes that nationwide...