by Alex Goldman
Google, today, is the company that could do anything. In 1995, ISPs were watching (and fearing) Microsoft. Today, it’s Google that might build an ISP, might roll out free Wi-Fi, might build a new free application.
I’ve hoped that Google might take on some of the enemies of competition in internet service, such as SBC. When Ed Whitacre said some dumb things about Google, I hoped Google would cut off SBC, but it did not. In fact, Google recently filed a joint submission with Verizon on the subject of net neutrality and the open internet. So much for that hope.
However, Google did something great this week. This week, Google stood up to China. After a hack attack, Google said it would no longer censor its search engine results for the Chinese government.
Google may even leave the country. I’m happy about this: it seems like Google’s the only company that could do so,. Other companies may also rethink their China policy. Google’s example might even change policy at Microsoft and Yahoo.
On the other hand, it may provide an opportunity for Microsoft (with its Bing search engine) or Yahoo to deliver to China what Google refuses to.
Competition
ILECs have a competitive advantage because the cell phone market is a monpoly. Bandwidth prices for text messaging are over $1,000 per megabyte, but the FCC has closed an inquiry on the issue. When a company can extract monpoly prices from one service, it can use that to cross-subsidize other services, which it can then offer below cost in order to crush competition.
In related news, there’s a rumor that Sprint may obtain roof rights from Wal Mart (it’s just a rumor, so no terms are available). This would be yet another advantage to the big companies.
Cox will roll out 700 MHz service in several places in March.
Business
VMware raised the stakes in its fight with Microsoft by purchasing Zimbra from Yahoo. In 2008, Microsoft attacked VMware’s core market by offering virtualization for free. This fight won’t be over soon.
VoIP could be great, but outages reduce trust in the technology. The latest outage was at Packet8.
Those WISPA members who serve marinas should know that the coast guard plans to shut down LORAN-C, the ocean version of a navigation system that was developed for the air force and made available to civil aviation.
The Linux Foundation has a new jobs site and there are some new open source certifications available too.
Here’s a quick review (by one of my favorite authors, Lisa Phifer ) of AirWave 7, a WLAN management system for businesses that is shipping in March 2010.
Miscellaneous
Here are Doc Searl’s thoughts on net neutrality.
A new book asks people to be nicer to each other online.
Popular URL shortening service bit.ly is registered in Libya. H/T @Lieblink, @Lee_Underwood.
WISPs will always face the issue of irrational Wi-Fi fear. Most recently, a group of people who claimed to be “allergic” to Wi-Fi learned that the tower they were complaining about had been turned off for the past six weeks.
