Internet search engine giant, Google, has announced that it is planning to build and test ultra high-speed broadband networks in select locations in the USA. Google says that they will be providing fiber-to-home connections with speed of 1 Gigabit per second. The experiment could bring the 1Gbps internet connections to upto half a million users.

Google says the goal is to experiment with new ways to help make Internet access better and faster for everyone. They have also come up with some potential applications of such high speed internet:

• Next generation apps: Google wants to give developers and users the freedom to come up with "killer-apps" without the usual constrain of bandwidth.
• New deployment techniques: Google also wants to test new ways to build fiber networks, and to help inform and support deployments elsewhere. They also promise to share their findings.
• Openness and choice: Google will operate an "open access" network, giving users the choice of multiple service providers. And consistent with our past advocacy, we'll manage our network in an open, non-discriminatory and transparent way.

Google has not yet selected where the experiment will take place. It is requesting for resoponse from interested communities - either by the government or member of the public. You can respond from this page. You will have till 26 march to respond.

This is an absolutely good news but there is a lingering feeling at the back of the mind that if Google is becoming too influential. With its search engine and adsense network Google already controls a very large part of the internet. If goes into the internet infrastructure bussiness, it may send alarms among the anti-monopoly groups.

[via Google Blog]