Google today decided to clarify its stance for small businesses using Google Fiber. In short, small businesses aren’t allowed to take advantage of the ISP, at least not yet.
The company says “many” local entrepreneurs in Kansas City, Austin, and Provo have been asking Google about its plans to for Fiber. If the residential product is not for them, will there be a small business offering added at some point.
Google says a small business Fiber plan is definitely coming, but it wouldn’t say when exactly:
For now, we’re extremely focused on bringing Fiber to all of the residents who are already signed up and waiting for service. We will have more information about our small business product in the future. Stay tuned to this blog, or enter your address and email address on our website to get more information as soon as we have something to share.
Currently, Google is only bringing Fiber to residential locations (units and homes where people live) as well as the public and nonprofit sites selected by each Fiber city. This means that there is currently a loophole: home-based businesses can use Google Fiber.
In other words, if you live in and work from your home, you can use Google Fiber. That being said, you still have to respect the terms of service.
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If the primary use of the location where you want to install Google Fiber is commercial (meaning nobody lives there), you’re out of luck. Google’s explanation for this choice is rather weak:
From the beginning, Google Fiber was meant to help make the web faster for individuals and families. We’d noticed frustration from users about their home Internet speeds — nobody likes to put their lives on hold as videos buffer, photo albums upload or movies download. We chose to bring a Fiber to homes first, to help make the web faster there Internet connections faster, and we’ll have a small business product in the future.
That’s right. Google keeps saying “in the future” without offering an actual timeframe. We’ll let you know when that changes.
Top Image Credit: Spike Mafford
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