Do you want to share?
Do you like this article?
Google recently announced that it would be providing free Wi-Fi service
to a neighborhood in New York City, Chelsea, where Google headquarters
are located. It would feature outdoor service for all of the tourists
and residents and indoor coverage for public housing units.
True High Speed
Google Wi-Fi provides about 5 to 10 Megabits per second, which
translates into the speed of an average home internet connection. The fiber optic high speed coverage
that is expanding to areas can download at speeds of up to 1 Gigabit
per second. That is 200 times faster than a typical home internet
connection.
Low Cost
While Google said it has no further plans other than to contribute to
the area where it is headquartered, the mayor Michael Bloomberg and NY
Senator Charles Shumer were intrigued by the low cost and said they
would like all of New York to have free Wi-Fi. They said it was just a
fraction of what Sandy cost the state and they would like to provide
free internet service to everyone in the state.
It only cost $115,000 to get the technology installed for the Chelsea
Wi-Fi and it carries a $45,000 annual maintenance cost. Google covered
two-thirds of the cost and a local public advocacy group, Chelsea
Improvement Company, covered the rest.
While New York had Wi-Fi in 20 parks, this was the first widespread public Wi-Fi to
be attempted. The challenges of providing internet service in a densely
populated area were complicated by the tall buildings and providing
clear signals.
Google has also been providing Wi-Fi in Mountain View, where its main
headquarters are located. It has also temporarily provided internet
service in New York subway stations, airports, and other locations.
Google is able and motivated to tackle the problems that come with
building infrastructure because it makes money when people are connected
to the internet.
