It wasn’t long ago that internet users were waiting for their modems to dial in through their phone lines. The dreaded dial-up sound will forever haunt a particular generation. As for parents, they won’t soon forget yelling at their kids to get off the internet so they call aunt Susan. Cable has possibly come even further since the days of holding rabbit ears wrapped in foil to get a good picture.
Fortunately for the United States, a new era of Internet and Cable is being ushered in by Google. It is known as Google Fiber and it is an all-in-one entertainment connection for sports fans.
The movement to provide the nation with gigabit internet speeds has kicked off in Kansas City Missouri and Kansas alike. Google’s Fiber is slated to be 100 times the speed of typical broadband. But what else does the system offer? More importantly, how can those offerings be applied in the sports world?
Google Fiber has plenty to offer
Simply put, Google Fiber provides blazing fast internet and crystal clear high definition cable. A combination of internet and cable will cost the consumer $120 a month.
While the price may seem like a lot, the system packs a punch. Gigabit internet speeds are much more than many Americans are used too. A subscription also comes with a WiFi enabled network box and one terabyte of Google Drive cloud storage.
The cable is even more impressive, but only because of the internet. With higher bandwidths, less compression is used on signals. This allows for crystal clear high definition TV. The system comes with a cable box that doubles as a WiFi hotspot, which is awesome for making your house a wireless “wonderland” of sorts. The box is capable of recording eight shows at once. With that in mind, it also comes with two terabytes of storage.
How can Google Fiber be utilized in the sports world?
For fans and teams alike, the possibilities of Fiber seem promising. With Google installing Fiber in both Kansas and Missouri, this opens up the doors for major sports teams like the Chiefs..
With fans constantly turning to the second screen, imagine the possibilities of Google Fiber wireless Internet within a stadium. If Google can maintain wireless gigabit speeds on a much larger scale, fans are sure to be pleased. This would essentially allow for everyone in a stadium to connect to the network at one time. Not only that, but a greater bandwidth than most stadium networks allow would enable fans to upload and download as needed.
For instance, Sporting KC utilizes an in-stadium app called Uphoria. The app is essentially a DVR for fans that allows them to get a good replay of a recent goal. Sporting Park is already equipped with 220 miles of fiber-optics cable, allowing for high-bandwidth video to be wirelessly available to fans. The stadium is currently running a Cisco system, which seems to be competition for Google Fiber. However, it can certainly show us what to expect from a Google equipped stadium.
The Kansas City Chiefs and Arrowhead Stadium would easily benefit from a Fiber system by Google. With the NFL pushing for all teams to update to WiFi systems, Google has the chance to show off what it can do starting in Kansas City. A Google WiFi system at Arrowhead would likely rival the one at Sporting Park. The benefits could range from better in-stadium apps and control over every TV within the building, to super fast connections and enough bandwidth that even the original Napster wouldn’t know what to do with.
The system also offers something for the everyday sports consumer as well. Because the internet and cable package comes with a Nexus 7 tablet, the second screen gets better. Not only does the tablet act as a remote, but you can watch most channels from the Nexus itself.
Imagine controlling the TV with your second screen. Changing the channel, checking scores, and tweeting at the same time will have you feeling like one of those amazing one-man-band street performers.
The Gigabit + TV package comes with 22 sports channels, allowing for plenty of sports coverage. A couple of those channels are actually local sports channels, laying wake to potential content deals between Google, local networks, and sports teams.
The ball is in Google’s court. With Fiber expanding outward from Missouri and Kansas, the systems will eventually hit even larger markets. With the NFL pushing for every team to include WiFi in their stadiums, demand for Google Fiber could skyrocket should the company decide to cash in on the opportunity. Until then, sports fans will be waiting on the super-fast Fiber systems to make it to their hometowns. Luckily, while users of slower broadband systems wait, they won’t have to listen to that dreaded dial-up tone.