It seems 2015 can be the best year for an Internet user in India. Initial reports are coming in, indicating that Google Fiber will be introduced in India very soon.
Talks are on between IT Ministry and Google Fiber team to bring this amazing optical fiber based broadband services in India.
An official from the IT Ministry said, “We are keen to partner a company like Google in furthering the Digital India plan. Modalities have to be worked out,”.
Google Fiber is Google’s own broadband services which provides Internet speed upto 1000 MBPS or 1 GBPS, which would be an entirely new experience for an Indian user. In an era where there exists ridiculous caps on upload and download speeds, this certainly sounds like a gift from Santa.
Imagine downloading a HD movie in 33 seconds flat; uploading 100 images in 5 seconds.
Here is a video of live speed test done by a Google Fiber customer from Kankas city, USA, where it was first introduced: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9qXrqKk0mA
And a screenshot:
Here is a Reddit thread where users from Kankas city using Google Fiber have shared their experiences of using the services.
During the launch of Google Fiber in Kansas City in 2011, a Google official said, “Our internet is 100 times faster. Our TV has hundreds of channels in crystal clear HD. And we’re offering quality service plans that are affordable,”
As of now, Google is planning to expand the services to 34 more cities in the USA.
Although Google officials haven’t yet shared about their plans related with Google Fiber in India, but they admitted that they are working closely with the Indian Government on several projects. On the other hand, an official from IT Ministry said to The Hindu that a team from Google are arriving in India shortly to make feasibility studies about Google Fiber in India.
The Problems
As of now, Google Fiber in India certainly sounds like a fantasy as there are several practical problems involved. The biggest and the most visible problem in licenses.
In India, any ISP who wishes to provide broadband services needs to get licenses which are auctioned, and the price may shoot upto thousands of crores of rupees.
As per the recent talks which are happening between Google team and IT Ministry, it seems that the requirement of licenses may hold greater importance. One alternative can be that Google partners with an existing ISP such as BSNL and start the services.
If the Government allows Google to roll out Google Fiber without licenses, it can be a major boost to Internet connectivity and Digital Business for all Indians.
We hope for the best!