By now you’ve seen the headlines concerning the somewhat surprising restructure happening at Google, announced August 10th. Alphabet, Google’s new parent company, comes with an overhaul of resources, priorities, and most importantly, products. So what does this mean for Communication Service Providers?
Google has long been gunning for a breakthrough in the Comcast/Time-Warner broadband stranglehold over the US, and wants to promote itself as the cutting-edge alternative provider. With the Alphabet shake-up, Google plans to devote resources exclusively toward a myriad of goals, including wireless and wireline service. With so much up in the air, these are the questions we should be asking right now:
What is happening to Google Fiber?
Goodbye Google Fiber, hello Alphabet Fiber! Google is giving the fiber expansion initiative its own branch under Alphabet, and by graduating to its own Alphabet division, we can expect to see a more aggressive expansion throughout the US.
What does this mean for you?
If you’re considering offering gigabit service, now is the time to take the leap! You might capitalize on all of the Google buzz to generate demand for faster internet service in your area.
Where is Google’s Project Fi?
You may not be familiar with Project Fi, but in simple terms it’s Google’s toe-dipping venture into wireless service. It has yet to take off entirely, launching only this past April with an invite-only model. For now, Project Fi will remain under Google- indicating it’s either low priority or they’re not confident in its staying power. Read more about Project Fi’s limitations The Verge and The Wall Street Journal.
What does this mean for you?
The good news is that Google is separating wireless from wireline service. With this project in its infancy, it’s hard to say what the future looks like for Project Fi, but unlike Alphabet Fiber, don’t expect this initiative to take off any time soon.
Will Google keep pursuing ‘smart’ technology?
Short answer: yes. Google X is another initiative that earned its own branch under Alphabet, along with Nest. Google X is the secretive research arm of the company, responsible for the likes of Google Glass andProject Loon. Nest is the smart thermostat company that Google bought in 2014 and that has since grown into a full-blown scheme to integrate technology into every aspect of the American home.
What does this mean for you?
Time to embrace the Internet of Things (IoT). You can expect that with this much attention focused on not one, but two Alphabet ‘smart object’ divisions, the American public will soon be inundated with IoT technologies. Here’s your chance to position yourself as a leader, expert and educator; by promoting IoT objects and digital literacy, you will indirectly drive revenue. The more objects your customer embraces, the more bandwidth they need and the more revenue you generate.
The introduction of Alphabet raises many questions that will only be answered in time. The best plan of action for CSPs is to stay up-to-date on Google/Alphabet movement and capitalize on the hype. If you’re unsure what your next steps are, contact us to start a discussion or read up on the rest of our gigabit internetservice and Internet of Things blogs!