171w ago - Today the AP reports that Google is planning to build ultra-fast broadband networks in select areas.

Feeling lucky? Apparently Google will seek input from communities that might be interested in getting one of its test networks which will deliver speeds of 1 gigabit per second.

That would be roughly 50 to 300 times faster than the DSL, cable and fiber-optic networks that connect most U.S. homes to the Internet today, at speeds typically ranging from 3 megabits to 20 megabits per second.

To quote: Google envisions systems that will enable consumers to download a high-definition, full-length feature film in less than five minutes; allow rural health clinics to send 3-D medical images over the Internet; and let students collaborate with classmates around the world while watching live 3-D video of a university lecture.

"Our goal is to trial new technologies and figure out what kinds of applications you can send over these big pipes," said Richard Whitt, Google's Washington-based counsel for telecommunications and media. "There may be next-generation applications that are being held back right now."

Google said it is prepared to sell access directly to consumers at prices that are competitive with existing broadband services, but would consider letting Internet service...

226w ago - Ultra-high-speed wireless connectivity capable of transferring 15 gigabits of data per second over short distances has taken a significant step toward reality.

A recent decision by an international standards group could help bring this technology to market soon.

To quote: Short-distance 60 gigahertz (GHz) technology could offer many benefits to bandwidth-hungry applications such as high-definition video and high-capacity data storage. The new standard would support extremely fast wireless peer-to-peer connectivity, PC connectivity and High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) cable replacement.

Among the many potential 60 GHz applications are virtually wireless desktop-computer setups and data centers, wireless home DVD systems, in-store kiosks that transfer movies to handheld devices in seconds, and the potential to move gigabytes of photos or video from a camera to a PC almost instantly.

Industry group Ecma International recently announced a worldwide standard for the radio frequency (RF) technology that makes 60 GHz "multi-gigabit" data transfer possible. The specifications for this technology, which involves chips capable of sending RF signals in the 60 GHz range, are expected to be published as an ISO standard in 2009.

"We believe this new standard...