NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — Google said Wednesday that it will start testing a new broadband network that will deliver speeds of more than 100 times faster than traditional broadband.
The Internet search giant is aiming to link up with states and municipalities to build and test a fiber-optic network that will offer download speeds of about 1 gigabit per second, according to a blog post on the company’s Web site. Google said that speed would be fast enough to download a high-definition, full-length feature film in less than five minutes.
The company said the network would offer wire-line service directly to consumers’ homes at “a competitive price.” The network will be built by Google (GOOG, Fortune 500), but consumers will be able to choose their service provider. Google expects the test will provide its service to at least 50,000 and potentially up to 500,000 people.
This super-high speed is only good if the server you’re connected to can push out the data that fast. I have a 40Mbps connection and most sites give me 1 to 2Mbps.
“Does anybody even need that much bandwidth”
How do rational people even make this argument anymore? It’s been the same with drive space and computing power and even electricity. No, you probably don’t need more bandwidth to read dvorak.org/blog. But some of us don’t like the internet being stuck in 2002.
Hi-def video chats with multiple people, immersive 3D websites, server side computing with super cheap thin clients in the home, holographs. There’s a few ideas for bandwidth uses just off the top of my head.
So yes; I want this bandwidth, and a lot more. Along with a much faster computer and infinite amounts of storage and a physics card and so many other things.
Wow, only one person saw the future ramifications for gaming and VR. That will be an incredible market. Heck, it already is, but still lacking an acceptable level of detail in most 3D situations. But with 1Gb speed, the whole thing suddenly gets very real. Like when CGA went to VGA. This will make for some very detailed real-time gaming. It will have a pretty harsh impact on stand alone gaming boxes. Bye bye.
I so want to see this happen….