Google going island on us with plans to build “huts”
The Story
Google mania continues as the details sharpen for the installing of Google Fiber all over the Queen City. The latest update: Google needs space to build 21 “network huts.” Exotic!!!
$GOOG to lease 21 ‘network hut’ sites, and CLT will add 4 inspectors to permit #googlefiber: http://t.co/X7XtC4Rw9I pic.twitter.com/jIsy7EgSop
— Rick Rothacker (@rickrothacker) February 20, 2015
The Facts
– If you missed the news because you’ve been on the phone with Time Warner customer service for the past 2 weeks, the high-speed internet service Google Fiber has picked Charlotte among its new destinations.
– But before we can get this 100-times-faster-than-regular-broadband internet service, Google must lay 6,000 miles of fiber-optic cable all over our fair city.
– As sort of fiber-optic way stations, Google will need to build 21 huts throughout town.
How exotic will these huts be?
– Each hut is about 1,400 square feet. (Cozy!)
– Google will pay the city $2/square foot a year over the 20-year agreement. (Cheap!)
– Google will rent city property, such as fire stations, cell phone towers, sewage plants. (Ummm …. )
We were sort of hoping for a Gilligan’s Island type of hut …
@ALLOEKAKI It’s nice, but for my money nothing beats the bamboo hut on Gilligan’s Island you know? pic.twitter.com/GnUWTjOG7k
— Burns Paint (@burnspaint) April 1, 2013
But in reality, here’s what a typical Google hut looks like …
Google’s fiber huts score low on the aesthetics scale http://t.co/rIbP6gRko5
— NC Public Broadband (@NCPubBBND) May 18, 2014
C5’s Take
Will they at least offer drinks with little umbrellas?
Photo: Michael Goulding / Orange County Register, courtesy of John Wendel
This story was originally published February 23, 2015 at 12:35 AM with the headline "Google going island on us with plans to build “huts”."