February 13, 2012
by
Aaron Deacon, Managing Director, KC Digital Drive
Google submits application for TV station in Iowa
Amidst the shroud of secrecy around Google's plans for fiber in KC, the question of how they will compete with local telecom service providers has been front and center. Representatives from Time Warner and other local cable companies have been watching intently to see how Google's plans might disrupt their business.
In one of the clearest signals yet that Google might be planning to offer an alternative to your home cable provider, along with your Internet Service Provider, tech website Ars Technica reports that Google Fiber has submitted an application for a "fixed satellite, receive-only earth station to be located in Council Bluffs, Iowa" to the FCC. A Kansas City Star article adds further details to the story.
While the application is still making its way through the bureaucratic process, this particular type of satellite reception station is typically used to deliver television programming. It is certainly an interesting development to keep an eye on.