Motherboard:

In 2010, Google stunned the telecom sector by announcing the company would be jumping into the broadband business. Under the brand banner of Google Fiber, the search giant proclaimed it would be lighting a much-needed fire under the traditionally uncompetitive broadband industry, delivering ultra-fast gigabit connections across the United States.

When I first heard about Google Fiber, I was thrilled. Thrilled, mostly, with the idea of competition and what it could mean for consumers: cheaper pricing and way faster speeds.

But:

While Google Fiber did make some impressive early headway in cities like Austin, the company ran into numerous deployment headaches. Fearing competition, incumbent ISPs like AT&T and Comcast began a concerted effort to block the company’s access to essential utility poles, even going so far as to file lawsuits against cities like Nashville that tried to expedite the process.

That sort of reaction should not have been a surprise to Google. Of course incumbent ISPs will claw and scratch to protect their territories and revenue streams.

I think the real threat to big cable, at least in the short term, will be 5G deployment, wireless technologies that do not depend on the telephone poles and buried wires/fiber. With an unlimited data plan and video streaming speeds, the real cord cutting can truly take hold.

Google Fiber might have missed their moment.