Cornered!
Cornered! is a blog devoted, most of the time anyway, to telecommunications: local and global issues, technology, people and trends from the perspective of someone who's been reporting, analysing and commenting on the industry since the dark ages (BC - before competition). Sometimes serious, sometimes flippant, sometimes frivolous. Controversial, analytical, informative, amusing, but never boring; a vehicle for examinations of important issues and observations on my encounters and experiences in an industry where polarised views and hyperbole are the norm.
Follow the Australian Telecommunications scene NEWSLETTER- FREE TRIAL

Blog

Technology news and Jobs arrow Cornered! arrow Are Google's telecoms aspirations growing?
Are Google's telecoms aspirations growing? E-mail
by Stuart Corner   
Saturday, 22 September 2007
Mobile phones, wireless spectrum and now, submarine cable networks: is there no section of the communications market that Google is not planning to enter?

Rumours about the Googlephone have been circulating for months, and getting stronger. Google has been quite public about the possibility that could bid billions of dollars for wireless spectrum in the US. Now, according to the UK's Guardian newspaper, it is planning to bid for wireless spectrum in the UK. And according to Commsday is planning to invest in a planned trans-Pacific optic fibre submarine cable.

The latest reports have inevitably generated a slew of comments ranging from the usual "see: Google is out to takeover the world" to "don't be silly: what why would Google want to own infrastructure that is becoming increasingly commoditised?"

That was the response of an Information Week columnist to both stories: "It is unlikely that Google wants anything to do with selling increasingly commoditised connectivity. Quite simply, it's not a very appealing business to be in at the moment."

However it is wrong to lump both radio spectrum which enables the provision of services to end users and a direct link to end users with submarine cable capacity which is, quite simply the pipes through which data passes.

Google has a voracious appetite for submarine cable capacity. So what? Its massive data centres also have a voracious capacity for electricity, but no one is suggesting Google intends to buy into power companies or set up its own power transmission network. It has no reason to do so: it can get what it needs reliably at market rates.

 
< Next story in category   Previous story in the category >
iTWire user statistics Visitors last 30 days
694,279
Subscribers 15,210
#1 independent technology news advertise here
  •   *  
  • Search
  • AdvSeach
  • Login
  • Events
  • FreeStuff

- Advertisement -

Featured Whitepapers

Cornered! - Telecoms blog
Cornered! is a blog on all things tele-communication from the perspective of one who has observed, analysed commented and reported on the industry since the dark ages (BC - before competition).
Follow iTWire on Twitter

About iTWire

iTWire is all about technology news, information, jobs and community for the IT and telecommunications industry professional. Subscribe to our free ICT daily newsletter