It’s been pretty awesome to watch the roll out of Google Fiber.

For those who haven’t been following, Google is piloting a program to deliver gigabit internet service (symmetrical — equal speeds for uploads and download), starting with Kansas City and coming soon to Austin, TX.

This is important and interesting for several reasons: 1) the state of broadband access in the US is shameful, 2) the incumbent wired internet providers (Time Warner and Comcast) have divided up the US and essentially operate as unregulated monopolies in most markets, resulting in crappy + expensive service, and 3) gigabit service a game-changing 10-20x faster than the typical high-end cable service (which is 50-100mbit).

So it’s been entertaining to see everyone react to Google Fiber.  I love Mike Masnick’s coverage yesterday of AT&T’s bullshit response to gFiber coming to Austin (“Hours After Google Announces Google Fiber In Austin, AT&T Pretends It, Too, Will Build A 1 Gigabit Network There”).  See also: “Likely pressured by Google Fiber, Time Warner ups speeds, slashes rates”.

Maybe this is an argument that true competition is possible in the wired internet access space; I’m not sure.  Google has successfully negotiated unusually favorable terms in each of these pilot cities so far, which may make it hard or impossible to do this on a nationwide basis.

I keep coming back to the idea that it may cost as little as $100 billion to lay fiber to every home and business in the US.  $100 billion is certainly a lot of money, but it pales in comparison to the cost of other infrastructure projects.  To put it in perspective, that’s about the amount of cash that Apple has on hand, and about 8x Comcast’s 2012 profits.

I am intrigued by the idea that we (we being everyone that has an interest in expanding opportunity on and by way of the internet) could just raise that $100b and build the fucking thing.  Maybe it would take the form of a nonprofit utility-like company; maybe it could pile on to an effort like Google Fiber (with conditions about neutrality and perhaps wholesale resale); I’m not sure.  

But the one thing I’m sure about is that the benefit of symmetrical gigabit fiber to every American is incalculable.

The Computer Fraud and Abuse Act is a law that intends to protect computer systems from intruders and criminals.  

For those that haven’t been following, this is also the law that Aaron Swartz was prosecuted under for downloading too many academic papers at MIT.

Right now, Congress is considering updates to the CFAA.  It’s widely acknowledged that the way the law is written now, it not only doesn’t accomplish its goal effectively, but it also (like any good over-reaching internet law) makes criminals out of everyone.  From FixTheCFAA.com:

The CFAA is so broad that law enforcement says it criminalizes all sorts of mundane Internet use: Potentially even breaking a website’s fine print terms of service agreement. Don’t set up a Myspace page for your cat. Don’t fudge your height on a dating site. Don’t share your Facebook password with anybody: You could be committing a federal crime.

Unfortunately, the latest proposed changes to the CFAA don’t make it better; they actually

Today I turn 34.

For some reason, I can’t get Fred’s post about turning 17 for the third time out of my head. As I have been approaching this milestone, I can’t help but feel like I’m turning the corner to a new phase.

I definitely feel like the last 17 years have been about figuring out how to be an adult.  I owe a lot of that learning to Frannie.

And I’m pretty excited to look ahead at the next 17, and to figure out how to be a really good professional, husband and dad.

I’m not big on birthdays, and generally don’t like to make a big deal out of them.  But Frannie and I have arrived at a really nice way of celebrating ours — we’ve started taking days off together on each others’ birthdays, playing hooky and doing something fun.  Last year on my birthday we rented a tiny little boat and cruised around Boston Harbor in 45 degree weather.  This year on hers we caught a matinee movie and made an early escape for a few cocktails.  It’s a really nice thing to do and I hope we keep doing it forever.

I’m excited for the next 17. If they’re anything like the last 17 they will be twisty and turny, but will hopefully end up taking me (and us) in a good direction.

It’s been pretty awesome to watch the roll out of Google Fiber.

For those who haven’t been following, Google is piloting a program to deliver gigabit internet service (symmetrical — equal speeds for uploads and download), starting with Kansas City and coming soon to Austin, TX.

This is important and interesting for several reasons: 1) the state of broadband access in the US is shameful, 2) the incumbent wired internet providers (Time Warner and Comcast) have divided up the US and essentially operate as unregulated monopolies in most markets, resulting in crappy + expensive service, and 3) gigabit service a game-changing 10-20x faster than the typical high-end cable service (which is 50-100mbit).

So it’s been entertaining to see everyone react to Google Fiber.  I love Mike Masnick’s coverage yesterday of AT&T’s bullshit response to gFiber coming to Austin (“Hours After Google Announces Google Fiber In Austin, AT&T Pretends It, Too, Will Build A 1 Gigabit Network There”).  See also: “Likely pressured by Google Fiber, Time Warner ups speeds, slashes rates”.

Maybe this is an argument that true competition is possible in the wired internet access space; I’m not sure.  Google has successfully negotiated unusually favorable terms in each of these pilot cities so far, which may make it hard or impossible to do this on a nationwide basis.

I keep coming back to the idea that it may cost as little as $100 billion to lay fiber to every home and business in the US.  $100 billion is certainly a lot of money, but it pales in comparison to the cost of other infrastructure projects.  To put it in perspective, that’s about the amount of cash that Apple has on hand, and about 8x Comcast’s 2012 profits.

I am intrigued by the idea that we (we being everyone that has an interest in expanding opportunity on and by way of the internet) could just raise that $100b and build the fucking thing.  Maybe it would take the form of a nonprofit utility-like company; maybe it could pile on to an effort like Google Fiber (with conditions about neutrality and perhaps wholesale resale); I’m not sure.  

But the one thing I’m sure about is that the benefit of symmetrical gigabit fiber to every American is incalculable.

The Computer Fraud and Abuse Act is a law that intends to protect computer systems from intruders and criminals.  

For those that haven’t been following, this is also the law that Aaron Swartz was prosecuted under for downloading too many academic papers at MIT.

Right now, Congress is considering updates to the CFAA.  It’s widely acknowledged that the way the law is written now, it not only doesn’t accomplish its goal effectively, but it also (like any good over-reaching internet law) makes criminals out of everyone.  From FixTheCFAA.com:

The CFAA is so broad that law enforcement says it criminalizes all sorts of mundane Internet use: Potentially even breaking a website’s fine print terms of service agreement. Don’t set up a Myspace page for your cat. Don’t fudge your height on a dating site. Don’t share your Facebook password with anybody: You could be committing a federal crime.

Unfortunately, the latest proposed changes to the CFAA don’t make it better; they actually

Today I turn 34.

For some reason, I can’t get Fred’s post about turning 17 for the third time out of my head. As I have been approaching this milestone, I can’t help but feel like I’m turning the corner to a new phase.

I definitely feel like the last 17 years have been about figuring out how to be an adult.  I owe a lot of that learning to Frannie.

And I’m pretty excited to look ahead at the next 17, and to figure out how to be a really good professional, husband and dad.

I’m not big on birthdays, and generally don’t like to make a big deal out of them.  But Frannie and I have arrived at a really nice way of celebrating ours — we’ve started taking days off together on each others’ birthdays, playing hooky and doing something fun.  Last year on my birthday we rented a tiny little boat and cruised around Boston Harbor in 45 degree weather.  This year on hers we caught a matinee movie and made an early escape for a few cocktails.  It’s a really nice thing to do and I hope we keep doing it forever.

I’m excited for the next 17. If they’re anything like the last 17 they will be twisty and turny, but will hopefully end up taking me (and us) in a good direction.