Google Fiber Phone, underwater data center … 5 things to know today …
1. Trusted testers is the name Google gives to its Google Fiber subscribers who are willing to test new services, and this month some of those people may be testing Google phone service. According to The Washington Post, Google has sent invitations to a select group of customers chosen to test telephone service over Google Fiber.
The digital phone service is similar to Google Voice in that it will allow one phone number to get calls and messages from several phone lines. Google Voice routes call through a direct access number and uses the minutes from a customer’s cell phone plan to make calls on the mobile networks.
Google also offers phone service through Google Fi, its Wi-Fi-first mobile service. Google Fi works only on select Google phones (Nexus 6P, Nexus 5X and Nexus 6), and uses Wi-Fi for both voice and data when it’s available. When reliable Wi-Fi is not available, Google Fi relies on Sprint and T-Mobile US cellular networks.
If Google follows through with the launch of fiber-based phone service, it could eventually combine landline telephony, mobile service, broadband Internet and TV into one “quad-play” offering. Other companies that may have the potential to do this include AT&T and Verizon Communications. Both telecom operators already offer fiber-based “triple-play” services (landline, Internet and TV).
2. T-Mobile US adding more data to some of its prepaid plans. The “un-carrier” now offers 5 gigabytes of unthrottled data along with 100 minutes of voice and unlimited texting for $30 per month. After customers use more than 5 GB of data, their throughput speeds will be reduced. The plan is only available for devices purchased at Wal-Mart or activated via the T-Mobile US website.
3. DOCSIS 3.1 will represent just 1% of worldwide fixed broadband subscriptions in 2017, according to ABI Research. The high-speed cable modem technology was certified for retail last month, and cable operators are now starting to deploy equipment. ABI estimates 9 million broadband subscribers will be using DOCSIS 3.1 by next year.
4. Samsung will not wait for Mobile World Congress before it launches its new mobile devices. The company has set Feb. 21 as the date for this year’s “Unpacked” event. Mobile World Congress officially begins Feb. 22 in Barcelona, Spain.
Samsung is expected to launch two new phones: the Galaxy S7 with a 5.2-inch display and the S7 Edge with a 5.5-inch display. Both new phones are expected to pack significantly more battery life than their predecessors.
5. Most of the cables that move Internet traffic are found at the bottom of the ocean floor, so why not build a data center there? Microsoft is testing a prototype for an underwater data center, code named Project Natick. Locating a data center underwater could eliminate the cost of air conditioning used to cool the servers in data centers, although there would almost certainly be other costs associated with marine systems.
Microsoft’s first prototype included more than 100 sensors monitoring conditions inside an 8-foot steel capsule 30 feet underwater off the coast of California. The test proved so successful that Microsoft extended it beyond the initial 105-day timeframe, and even ran commercial data-processing projects from the underwater unit.
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