Google begins fiber broadband network trials at Stanford

Google said Thursday it will bring a beta version of its much-anticipated 1 gigabit fiber broadband network to 850 faculty and staff homes at Stanford University, a step forward in its experimentation as an Internet service provider.

Before you start fretting about your bids, Topeka and Seattle, the Stanford network is for testing purposes and will be separate from Google's contest to bring 1 gigabit networks to communities around the nation. Hundreds of communities -- many with their own gimmicks to grab Google's attention -- applied for the search giant to award them with their proposed ultra-fast networks.

The company said its goal is create networks that serve several communities totaling 50,000 to 500,000 people. Google said it is on track to announce the winners by the end of the year.

"Stanford’s Residential Subdivision—our first “beta” deployment to real customers—will be a key step towards that goal. We’ll be able to take what we learn from this small deployment to help scale our project more effectively and efficiently to much larger communities," Google produce manager, James Kelly, said in the blog.

Why Stanford for the trials? Helps that its nearby the Mountain View Campus, just one exit down Highway 101.

"Most important was Stanford’s openness to us experimenting with new fiber technologies on its streets. The layout of the residential neighborhoods and small number of homes make it a good fit for a beta deployment. And its location—just a few miles up the road from Google—will make it easier for our engineers to monitor progress."