Google has spoken, and its words are clear for all to hear. It has decided unequivocally that it will not be including a Voip service in its new Fiber package set to be unleashed on the (American) population later this month.
The service has thus far been tested in Kansas City - where it has been welcomed with open arms and graciously received - and is now ready to be rolled out across the united states. The main advantage offered by Google Fiber is downloading speeds three times that of current service providers.
The Voip service would have required voice and data to be combined into a single connection. Google have admitted that they looked closely at offering such a service, and concluded that, "the cost of actually delivering telephone services is almost nothing, however, in the United States there are all of these special rules that apply."
The regulations pose a serious headache for service providers looking to provide an all inclusive service, due to the way that tax state calculations are determined across different states. But it would seem that had Google wanted to find a solution, they could have.
It is still possible for Google Fiber subscribers to make use of Voip services by purchasing of a MagicJack or Ooma and registering for their own low cost service, however, this solution could prove problematic for certain customers, as Dave Greenbaum of GigaOM points out.
But this solution is far from the best option for the majority of consumers, as GigaOM's David Greenbaum points out: "Many people still use alarm or fax systems that need a landline, and although both can be done over the internet, it is an additional hassle to switch".
So all things considered, Google have obviously done (substantial) research and decided that the world at large is still not ready for Voip to be rolled out en mass - and given the resources at their disposal it would seem highly unlikely that Google have mis-interpreted the marketplace.
And even if they have, i doubt that they are going to lose too much sleep over it. Given their resources they could upgrade their service quicker than any of their competitors and still control the market. The one thing that is for sure is that their competitors are going to have to pull their fingers out to keep Google fiber from commanding the entire broadband and telecommunications market just as they have with the world of online search and advertising. And you certainly wouldn't bet against that happening.
The service has thus far been tested in Kansas City - where it has been welcomed with open arms and graciously received - and is now ready to be rolled out across the united states. The main advantage offered by Google Fiber is downloading speeds three times that of current service providers.
The Voip service would have required voice and data to be combined into a single connection. Google have admitted that they looked closely at offering such a service, and concluded that, "the cost of actually delivering telephone services is almost nothing, however, in the United States there are all of these special rules that apply."
The regulations pose a serious headache for service providers looking to provide an all inclusive service, due to the way that tax state calculations are determined across different states. But it would seem that had Google wanted to find a solution, they could have.
It is still possible for Google Fiber subscribers to make use of Voip services by purchasing of a MagicJack or Ooma and registering for their own low cost service, however, this solution could prove problematic for certain customers, as Dave Greenbaum of GigaOM points out.
But this solution is far from the best option for the majority of consumers, as GigaOM's David Greenbaum points out: "Many people still use alarm or fax systems that need a landline, and although both can be done over the internet, it is an additional hassle to switch".
So all things considered, Google have obviously done (substantial) research and decided that the world at large is still not ready for Voip to be rolled out en mass - and given the resources at their disposal it would seem highly unlikely that Google have mis-interpreted the marketplace.
And even if they have, i doubt that they are going to lose too much sleep over it. Given their resources they could upgrade their service quicker than any of their competitors and still control the market. The one thing that is for sure is that their competitors are going to have to pull their fingers out to keep Google fiber from commanding the entire broadband and telecommunications market just as they have with the world of online search and advertising. And you certainly wouldn't bet against that happening.
About the Author:
Saul Saresi writes regularly about Voip systems and technology for his website which can be found here business voip previous examples of his research and writing can be found here business phone
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