San Francisco could become the outdoor version of Google Labs if it accepts the search engine company’s offer to bring free wireless Internet to the city.
Google wants to help the world, and part of that plan was disclosed by San Francisco when it published the Wi-Fi proposals it received.
While providers like EarthLink, and MetroFi see various schemes where they win the contract and charge users for most of the connectivity they can offer, Google sees it differently. If the reader didn’t know who wrote it, one might think Apple wrote Google’s proposal:
“We believe that ubiquitous, affordable Internet access is a crucial aspect of humanity’s social and economic development, and that working to supply free Wi-Fi is a major step in that direction.”
Once they roll out the network, the initial 300kbps speed would be just the beginning. Google has promised to upgrade the network to the 802.11n standard. That would be a higher-speed Wi-Fi, about quadruple that of the present 802.11 technologies.
The proposal notes how Google would partner with Wireless Facilities of San Diego to help with the construction and rollout of the network. Beyond the deployment phase, they’ve left open the possibility of involving a partner or two in some fashion. Those partners could be resellers of faster services:
“(W)e also believe that there will never be either one form of online connectivity or one company that exclusively provides it.
wholesale access will be provided at rates vastly discounted from the retail prices at which fixed line and 3G service providers are offering services today. Any willing partners will be able to resell access to a network at substantially higher data rates than the free solution, potentially reaching 2-3Mbps of throughput.
Once the technology is in place, partnering with a firm to manage the customer service and tech support side is virtually a lock. After that, what happens? Google wants to gain a stronger position in local search. Part of that strength would come from refining its location technologies. From the proposal:
Our local advertising platform utilizes advanced technology that can target advertisements to specific geographical locations….We would expect to reach out to these small businesses in the city and educate them on the benefits of advertising their products or services to the local community online. Now, mom and pop local shops will be able to specifically target affordable advertisements to Wi-Fi network users within a few block radius.
Google would utilize VLAN technology to make part of the wireless network exclusive to official government wireless traffic in the city, too:
For public safety and city services, the Google Wi-Fi network will have a separate VLAN available. This VLAN will ensure the segregation of City traffic and thereby enhance its likelihood of delivery and mitigate congestion. The City will be eligible to utilize this VLAN at speeds up to 300kbps free of charge and will be entitled to obtain higher throughput accounts from Google at wholesale rates.
David Utter is a staff writer for murdok covering technology and business. Email him here.
