Tag Archives: FiberOptic

Google Fiber installations begin, come with a larger TV channel choice in the bargain (video)

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Google Fiber installations begin, come with more TV channels in the bargain video

A lot of readers in the two Kansas Cities are about to see the above sign taped to their door, and they'll be forgiven if it triggers an irrational level of excitement: it's the confirmation that Google Fiber deployments are at last underway. Starting this week in the Hanover Heights district of Kansas state's city, Google is extending fiber drops to the homes of early adopters and arranging for in-home appointments to set up whatever internet and IPTV selections they've made. The fiber team is also widening its pick of TV channels as a last-minute incentive, offering a slew of Fox sports and movie channels as well as Fuel TV, FX, National Geographic and Speed, among others. While we don't know how long it will take before the first wave of 1Gbps deployments are wrapped up, it should finally be safe to add "internet service provider" to Google's increasingly lengthy resume.

Continue reading Google Fiber installations begin, come with a larger TV channel choice in the bargain (video)

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Google Fiber installations begin, come with a larger TV channel choice in the bargain (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Nov 2012 14:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EE switches on 4G in 11 UK cities, offers fiber broadband to 11 million sites and opens 700 stores

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EE switches on 4G in 11 UK cities, offers fiber broadband to 11 million sites and opens 700 stores

Today marks the launch of the UK's first 4G network, with EE switching on its service in 11 cities: London, Bristol, Birmingham, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Sheffield and Southampton. If you don't have access immediately, you might not be waiting long, as the company promises 2,000 square miles of 4G network will be added every month from now on. This £1.5 billion investment means five cities will join the exclusive list before Christmas, and in the longer-term, 98 percent population coverage is expected by the end of 2014. Wired services aren't being forgotten -- EE Fibre Broadband is also available from today with the potential to serve 11 million locations with speeds of up to 76 Mbps. Want to learn more about the new services? Then head to one of the 700 EE stores (rebranded Orange and T-Mobile locations) opening this morning. If your bank account can handle it, that is.

Continue reading EE switches on 4G in 11 UK cities, offers fiber broadband to 11 million sites and opens 700 stores

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EE switches on 4G in 11 UK cities, offers fiber broadband to 11 million sites and opens 700 stores originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Oct 2012 03:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Virgin Media begins pushing its UK broadband to 120Mbps, much to Usain’s delight

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Virgin Media begins pushing its broadband to 120Mb

If you're one of Virgin Media's top-tier internet customers, you may soon see your service getting a little speedier. The Branson-backed company is boosting its top speed from 100Mbps to 120Mbps, thanks to a £110 million ($169 million) infrastructure investment. The majority of the network -- around 60 percent -- has yet to be supercharged, but you can use the coverage checker linked below to see if you're in-line for an early Christmas present from Sir Richard.

Continue reading Virgin Media begins pushing its UK broadband to 120Mbps, much to Usain's delight

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Virgin Media begins pushing its UK broadband to 120Mbps, much to Usain's delight originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Oct 2012 07:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google Fiber pre-registration program closes in the Kansas Cities

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Google Fiber pre-registration program closes in the Kansas Cities

Gigabit internet speeds are nothing more than a dream for most of us, but for residents of the Kansas Cities, that reality is not far off. The six-week pre-registration program for Google's Fiber network closed yesterday, and at least 180 of the 202 "fiberhoods" earmarked for the upgrade have met their target. That number could rise when all the late entries have been counted, but we won't know until the complete list of areas drops later this week. If yours doesn't make the cut, it's not all bad news: Google's Jenna Wandres told us that although this initial rollout covers Kansas City, KS, and central Kansas City, MO, Fiber will be expanding north and south of the Missouri side in the future. When pre-registration opens for this second round, the 20-some-odd areas that failed to meet the initial criteria will get a second chance to, so start being extra nice to the neighbors if you want to get them on board.

Unfortunately, we couldn't confirm even a ball park date for the expansion, but for the 180-plus hoods that qualify on this occasion, it's time to get excited. Any RTS gamer will know the value of getting your openers tight, and El Goog's currently compiling a "build order" so the areas that expressed the most interest in Fiber will have it first. According to Jenna, implementation is coming "very soon," so be ready to repress that hysterical scream when you see a Google truck casing your block.

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Google Fiber pre-registration program closes in the Kansas Cities originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 10 Sep 2012 15:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Time Warner Cable expanding fiber broadband coverage in NYC, only businesses to benefit

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Time Warner Cable expanding fiber broadband coverage in NYC, only businesses to benefit

Google, we're not in Kansas anymore, we're in New York, where Time Warner Cable is planning to drop $25 million on expanding its (up to) 1Gbps fiber broadband infrastructure. Specifically, the additional network is hitting neglected areas in Brooklyn and Manhattan, but it's not for general consumption -- it's strictly for businesses. Don't feel too disheartened though -- you might not be getting a slice of this particular fiber pie, but it's all you can eat, all the time at the free WiFi buffet.

Continue reading Time Warner Cable expanding fiber broadband coverage in NYC, only businesses to benefit

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Time Warner Cable expanding fiber broadband coverage in NYC, only businesses to benefit originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Aug 2012 14:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Plusnet pushes its UK-fibre-optic broadband to 76Mb/s

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Plusnet pushes its UKfibreoptic broadband t 76Mbs

Stereotype-embracing ISP Plusnet has added a new tier of fibre-optic broadband, offering speeds up to 76Mb/s. The revamped Extra Fibre package now offers upload speeds of up to 19.5 Mb/s, with a 250GB monthly usage allowance, matching those offered by parent company BT. Of course, those of us who can't even get ADSL2 will just have to watch on, with jealousy in our eyes.

Continue reading Plusnet pushes its UK-fibre-optic broadband to 76Mb/s

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Plusnet pushes its UK-fibre-optic broadband to 76Mb/s originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 23 Aug 2012 06:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mainland China, Taiwan send first data over direct fiber optic link, take steps towards peace and harmony

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Mainland China, Taiwan send first data over direct fiber optic link, take steps towards peace and harmony

Relations between mainland China and Taiwan haven't always been what you'd call warm, even with many companies having a footprint in both regions. Consider the first bursts of network traffic from a newly active connection as olive branches: a pair of undersea fiber optic cables running between southern China's Xiamen and the Taiwan-claimed Kinmen island chain represent the first truly direct data link between the two sides. Built by China Mobile, China Telecom, China Unicom and Taiwan's Chunghwa Telecom, the link both has its share of diplomatic symbolism as well as the very practical advantage of a faster, more reliable route -- there's no globetrotting required to get data and voice to their destinations, and there's fewer chances of blackouts if a boat inadvertently slices a cable. We wouldn't go so far as to call it a Happily Ever After for either faction after decades of tension, but it does at least provide a greater semblance of normalcy to their communication.

[Image credit: Aine Hickey, Wikitravel]

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Mainland China, Taiwan send first data over direct fiber optic link, take steps towards peace and harmony originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Aug 2012 09:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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House of Lords wants UK TV to go fully online and leave airwaves clear for cellphones

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House of Lords wants UK TV to go fully online to leave the airwaves clear for cellphones

The UK House of Lords' Communications Committee has suggested that all broadcast TV should be moved to the internet to free up wireless spectrum for cellphones. In its report, the panel found that whilst such a network would be cheaper and more efficient in the long run, it would also require extensive re-building of the country's archaic communications infrastructure. Given that the analog-to-digital switchover is currently in progress, it seems unlikely that a further transition will be timetabled -- especially since there are still concerns over the cost of bringing fiber-optic broadband to rural areas. Any change in the plan will need to be rubber-stamped by Government, but perhaps it'd be more amenable if they saw how good 8K video looks on one of those connections.

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House of Lords wants UK TV to go fully online and leave airwaves clear for cellphones originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Aug 2012 02:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google Fiber gets formal launch, adds Google Fiber TV (update: event video)

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Google Fiber gets formal launch, adds Google Fiber TV

Google just kicked its Google Fiber efforts into overdrive. The company's Kansas City effort is getting a full launch and now includes Google Fiber TV -- a "real" TV service with recognizable channels and its own, fully searchable interface that mixes DVR results with Netflix and YouTube. As many as 500 shows can be stored in full 1080p HD, and several TVs within the home can tune in at the same time.. Not surprisingly, there's also a major mobile component taking advantage of that 1Gbps fiber link, as users will have the option of browsing, sharing and eventually watching live TV directly from tablet apps. The company is also promising an ever-evolving service that includes Google+ video hangouts. For hardware, Google has its own dedicated Network Box with a four-port gigabit Ethernet router and 802.11n WiFi, a TV Box with live viewing and a WiFi access point as well as a Storage Box DVR with 2TB of data and the ability to record eight shows at once. Your remote control? A free, bundled Nexus 7 tablet, naturally.

The overall service will come with 1TB of Google Drive space, although it's expensive to get started: there's a $300 "construction fee" (currently being waived) to wire a home for the fiber optics. Three packages will be on offer, starting with a Gigabit + TV package that includes the essentials, all major channels and "hundreds" of fiber channels (plus on-demand content) for $120 a month. Skip traditional TV and it costs $70 a month -- and if you're a local resident willing to pony up the construction free, you can get 5Mbps internet access for free for "at least" seven years. Key institutions are getting the full gigabit access for free, as well. Only small slices of Kansas City in both Missouri and Kansas state should have access at first, but Google is conducting a six-week "rally" where the most people paying a $10 pre-registration fee dictate where Google Fiber goes next. Now if only other cities would go the same route.

Update: The full event replay is available for your inspection after the break.

Gallery: Google Fiber July 26 event

Continue reading Google Fiber gets formal launch, adds Google Fiber TV (update: event video)

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Google Fiber gets formal launch, adds Google Fiber TV (update: event video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Jul 2012 12:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Comcast reportedly prepping 305Mbps internet service, aims to put FiOS in its place

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Comcast reportedly prepping 305Mbps internet service, aims to put FiOS in its place

Sure, at 300Mbps Verizon's FiOS Quantum is lightning fast -- but reports say that Comcast is prepping a new tier that's just a little faster. According to Broadband Reports sources, Comcast's Neil Smit told employees that the company would be introducing a 305Mbps downstream tier in Verizon FiOS territories "soon," but neglected to mention a strict timetable. Details regarding pricing and data caps are similarly scarce, of course. Comcast has yet to comment on the rumor, but we'll let you know if we hear anything official.

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Comcast reportedly prepping 305Mbps internet service, aims to put FiOS in its place originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 20 Jul 2012 05:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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