But Google maintained that it has no desire to become a nationwide WiFi service provider.
We aren’t going to do any more of these builds, said Chris Sacca, head of special initiatives at Google.
And the search engine company does not expect to compete with other wireless service providers, he said. Rather, it hopes its freely available outdoor networks would spur them – and the handful of large network operators in the country – to offer more open access services of their own.
Of course, more municipal WiFi would create demand for Google’s current and future mobile search applications.
Sacca also said Google was open to any opportunities and partnerships that have the potential to significantly improve the way people access and use the Internet, both today and in the future.
The company’s Mountain View network will serve as a showcase for new location-based applications and services, Sacca said. It also will be a test bed for new mobile search services.
Google said it was still early days yet for its proposed free and low-cost network in San Francisco, which it is building in partnership with EarthLink. We’re still in the early stages of the planning process and do not a have a timetable to announce, Sacca said.
Indeed, the company’s successful bid to build the network is currently caught up in bureaucratic red tape at the City of San Francisco.
Sacca said Google’s interests in providing free WiFi access in Mountain View and San Francisco were the same.
Indeed, Google has not made a bid on a proposed network to cover the greater San Francisco Bay Area.
Sacca noted that universal and affordable Internet access was necessary, yet no single company would achieve this on its own.
Google has been among the more vocal proponents of proposed net neutrality laws, which would prevent network operators from charging content providers and others to access prioritized Web-based content and services over their pipes.
Google, along with Amazon, eBay, Microsoft, Yahoo and others, argued that the absence of net neutrality laws would lead to a two-tiered Internet with a fast lane for priority content and a compromised lane for everything else.
Network owners countered that market forces would dictate whether consumers would be willing to pay for faster content and services. Also, the operators said they had a right to recoup significant investments in their networks.
The issue is expected to be hotly debated in the full Senate floor in coming months.
Sacca said Google’s WiFi network and the initiatives of others in the broader wireless communities has [had] the effect of inspiring networks that may be able to ease the issue of net neutrality. I think this project has motivated some of the traditional incumbents to evolve their service.
He pointed to AT&T Inc, which initially was resistant to being involved with municipal WiFi networks but is now more open to them.
One of the goals here was to go ahead and promote more innovation in the access space, he said. He said 47% of Americans currently were in the unfortunate situation of having the choice of one or no access provider. When you compare the product offerings in Asia or Europe unfortunately they leave a lot to e desired in terms of value for dollar spent.
He said there wouldn’t be a network neutrality debate in America if there were a really robustly competitive market for access where users had the ability to switch providers at their whim without any resistance. You wouldn’t hear of any providers threatening to turn off Google, for instance, he said.
Frankly, we don’t have a competitive marketplace for access here.
Sacca rebutted the suggestion that Google’s free networks would limit competitive access in those two cities. He said entrepreneurs could offer high-throughput, value-added services on top of the Google network. For example, they could offer [users] robust virus fighting controls, he said, noting that Gooogle also offered such a service. I see these as complimentary services.
Of course, Mountain View is also home to just 72,000 residents, so Google’s small networks don’t pose any serious competitive threat.
Anyone can use Google’s Mountain View service, including companies, Google said. But they will first need to set up a free Google account, which involves a username and password. The SSID for the service is GoogleWiFi.
The company has capped the upload and download data rate each to 1000 kbps.
Google said it plans to add more to the 380 WiFi radios it has already set up throughout Mountain View. The service is an outdoor one, and those looking for indoors access are advised by Google to buy a modem.
Google tested a limited version of the network at and near its sprawling campus during the past nine months. Online and email customer support for the network will be available, Google said.
