Colleges prep joint plan for 1Gbps internet
Not ready for prime time
More than two-dozen US universities are banding together to bring one-gigabit internet connections to their surrounding communities in the hope of attracting new startups and innovation.
The project, dubbed Gig.U, is little more than a work in progress. Witness the official press release announcing the project, which offers little more than a link to Wednesday's article from The New York Times. The plan involves universities seeking suggestions and business ideas from telecom companies, corporations and nonprofits.
One of the only tangible effects cited by the NYT is a pilot program in a several-block area surrounding Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. It offers one-gigabit fiber-optic networking to a whopping 104 homes. Case's CIO said within three months of its inauguration, three startups moved into the neighborhood.
Not that beefing up US networks is a bad idea. American bandwidth has long lagged behind what is found in Korea and other countries, typically ranking among the lowest of industrialized nations. But it's not clear what Gig.U will mean for the average American downloading a high-definition movie, unless she's lucky enough to inhabit one of the small academic islands taking part in the project.
In 2010, Google proposed building its own ultra high-speed networks to US homes. ®
COMMENTS
but
how quickly to download hd porn.
Surely that is the only measurement that matters.
This is what I hate about the internet
"Your internet speed is only as fast as the slowest link in the route."
And in the US, that's just about every internet connection available to normal users since the cablecos and telcos have no interest in bringing decent speed at a decent price.
See this is what I love about the internet.
It's a mish-mash of lose agreements and we can only upgrade certain areas under our own local control. You get people whacking 50 gazllion jigabit pipes in very small areas, where they can copy 60 DVDs worth in a microsecond but the minute they need a patch off back-street Taiwanese MoBo maker, it's back down to dial-up speeds and 2 hours to get some obscure 500Kb patch for a very annoying problem. Last time I needed some obscure audio drivers it took 45 mins to download 23MB sitting on a 50MB pipe, my bit's alright it's the other bugger at the end that can't be asked to upgrade his kit.
"Your internet speed is only as fast as the slowest link in the route."
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