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02.06.06
Google
Jobs Post Leads To GoogleNet Rumors
 By
David A. Utter
Google has stated before it has no interest in becoming a provider of network
services, but a job posting on its site solicits applications for Strategic Negotiators
with "negotiation of dark fiber contracts" listed as part of the desired candidates'
experience.
There have been lengthy stories by telecom industry site Light Reading, thoughtful
posts by writer Om Malik, and tales crafted by the notable pundit Robert X. Cringely
about mobile datacenters and little hi-tech cubes to handle traffic from a Google
network.
When Google noted it would have a speaker, Larry Page, at the Consumer Electronics
Show in Las Vegas, many thought the Google Cubes or a related PC project was part
of Page's notes. Instead, the debut of Google Video and the software collection
Google Pack emerged instead, to the collective yawns of
the press.
No Google network, cubes, or anything hardware-related.
The Times Online UK has published
its take on the story, citing "sources in commercial negotiation with the company"
that claim Google is working on a global privately-held Internet. The job posts
noted
by the Times Online call for applicants versed in negotiating for dark fiber.
Dark fiber refers to the millions of miles of fiber-optic cables put in place
throughout the US by Internet companies prior to the dot-com crash of 2000. No
one has ever switched them on, hence their status as being "dark."
Google has reportedly been buying up lots of this dark fiber, but a reason why
hasn't been forthcoming. Considering the continued calls from executives at AT&T,
BellSouth, and Verizon for a two-tiered Internet, with providers like Google paying
them higher prices to ensure the reliability of their traffic, the question isn't
will Google pay or not. It's when will Google tell them their peering services
are no longer required.
Wouldn't we all like to know that?
About the Author:
David Utter is a staff writer for WebProNews covering technology and business.
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