Google Fiber is about to acquire Webpass, a provider of superfast Internet connections of up to 1 Gbps. It has more than 20,000 subscribers in U.S. cities such as San Francisco, Boston, San Diego and Miami. Both companies seek to lead a new era of interconnected technologies.
The Alphabet subsidiary Google Fiber confirmed the deal on Wednesday via Twitter. Webpass said it would continue to provide high-speed connections to residential and business customers, through point to point wireless systems.
Companies such as WordPress, Mozilla, HBO Films, Oracle Racing and Zappos are clients of Webpass, according to ZDNet. The Internet provider will now expand it services to more markets alongside Google Fiber.
On Wednesday, President of Webpass Charles Barr said the new alliance aims to “accelerate the deployment of superfast Internet connections” in U.S. land. The transaction is scheduled to take place in summer after regulators approve it.
“I started this company 13 years ago to deliver a simple, high-quality Internet connection to as many people as possible. Joining Google Fiber will be a great development for our users because the companies share the same vision of the future and commitment to the customer,” said Mr. Barr.
Webpass would reach more clients in alliance with Google than it would as a standalone company, added Mr. Barr. His company has 80 employees who have installed superfast connections in more than 800 buildings, said ZDNet.
Google is developing cheap wireless technology
The tech giant led by Sundar Pichai announced on early 2016 the launch of a 1 Gbps fiber service in San Francisco. Webpass is already providing a combination of fiber and wireless networks in the Bay Area.
Providing fiber service in low-density areas may be too expensive. Google would be interested in connecting wireless towers to already installed fiber, as announced by Craig Barratt, CEO of Google Access.
Google has found hard to access some markets which remain loyal to competitors such as Time Warner Cable Inc. and Comcast. The latter have achieved to maintain a customer’s base by offering multi-year deals.
Analysts at research firm Zacks said that Google found attractive wireless technology developed by Webpass. Executive chairman of Alphabet Inc. Eric Schmidt told shareholders in early June that Google is developing new cheap wireless technology for homes, added Zacks.
As internet consumption grows, higher speeds are needed
The Internet of Things and cloud services would require faster connections by the end of the decade. Google Fiber is currently testing Wireless technology in Kansas City. The company would offer wireless connections in the region by late 2016, according to Zacks.
The internet consumption in the United States has massively increased over the last decade. According to AT&T, its data traffic on wireless network grew more than 150,000% from 2007 to 2015. This increment has been triggered by the use of smartphones and video content.
Video occupies more bandwidth than any other content in the United States. It represented 60 percent of the data traffic recorded by AT&T in 2015. Google may also be interested in merging internet and TV services.
Google Fiber TV, a prominent cable-killer technology, is already working with Google Cast.
Why do we need extremely fast Internet connections? Google may have a curious answer
In April, Google said it was working on one billion times faster speeds, adding that 1 Gbps connections may be “quite slow” for some applications. The tech giant found the answer in teleportation technology, which would require surreal bandwidths.
“Organizations that wish to remain anonymous have been working on an application that would enable the teleportation of a 160-pound person a distance of 60 miles in 1.2 seconds. This application requires a tremendous amount of bandwidth. A person represents a vast amount of data,” added Google.
The tech company headquartered in Mountain View remarked that it is not interested in the teleportation business. However, it plans to provide data transfer speeds needed for such a complex technology.
Google Fiber said it would be a challenge to “break down objects into discrete packets of data.” According to the company, teleportation would solve modern problems such as vehicle traffic and urban congestion.
Users can insert their weight here to calculate how long it will take them to teleport when using Google Fiber and teleportation technology provided by the anonymous organization. According to Recode, Google Fiber generated revenues of nearly $100 million in 2015.
Google is among the major supporters of net neutrality, saying that companies should not be allowed to prioritize download speeds based on what people pay.
“It would threaten the innovation that makes the Internet awesome,” added Google.
Fiber 1 Gbps service provided by Google is $70/month in Atlanta, Austin, Kansas, Nashville, and Provo. Users can pay $130/month for Google Fiber TV + Internet.
Source: Webpass Press Release