Ofcom reached a conclusion on the BT broadband debate a few months back: it doesn’t have to give up its monopoly on the UK by splitting up with Openreach. This has had us cross our fingers and hope for a hero to come and rid us of our slow internet woes – like Google Fiber. It was first in 2010 that Google announced its plans to create a gigabit fibre network in America – and it allegedly intended to invest in the UK’s broadband network. It’s a good move on Google’s part if you take into account the fact that £4.92bn of its revenue comes from Britain. BT even claimed it would give Google access to its underground ducts as it would lower the costs of a fibre rollout. But despite BT’s offer, and Google holding talks with CityFibre, discussions broke down over concerns of conflict with CityFibre partners Sky Broadband and TalkTalk. It came to the conclusion that a British Google Fiber project wouldn’t be announced any time soon, but we all held our breath and hoped – if it had been on the cards before, what would stop it from considering us as a setup location again? That particular announcement was in 2014, and with 2017 around the corner we’ve heard that Google is now struggling on US soil. Google Fiber is scaling back the expansion plans of its fibre network – many cities, such as Chicago, have been removed from its list of future locations – not to mention that its chief honcho, Craig Barratt, is stepping down. The company is also set to lay off nine per cent of its staff, marking a significant setback for parent company Alphabet – Google Fibre was arguably one its most ambitious projects. According to Kamalini Ganguly, Ovum’s senior analyst: “Installation was far too time consuming and expensive. Fibre is the most expensive option when it comes to mainstream broadband access technology. I think in the future we may see Google use a wireless solution that doesn’t take fibre all the way to the home. We’ll see a combination of technologies.” It’s making some changes and checking them twice, the company has said. But what we do know for sure is that we’re nowhere closer to getting Google Fiber in the UK than before – we can still keep hoping though. By Shané Schutte
This article is part of our Real Business Broadband campaign, which seeks to provide a mouthpiece for business leaders to vocalise the broadband issues preventing their businesses from reaching full potential. We’d love to hear your take on the debate and where you think the UK needs to make drastic changes. Get in touch via email (shane.schutte@realbusiness.co.uk) or join in on the action using #rbBroadband.
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.