Google Cable TV Service To Be Offered In Kansas City?

Google Cable TV Service To Be Offered In Kansas City?

Google continues to make serious waves in new industries, disrupting the complacent status quo in industries ranging from web searches and mapping to advertising and mobile. Tomorrow they’re slated to do it again with Google Music, and based on an article in the Kansas City Star, they could soon be turning the Cable TV world on it’s head. We already know Google TV will be a powerful source in television innovation, but get a load of this:

The Wall Street Journal is reporting in today’s editions that in addition to bringing ultrafast Internet to Kansas City, it may also sell television packages in this market.

That’s right. Move over Comcast. Scooch to the side RoadRunner and Time Warner. Google seems poised to enter your realm. Of course their official spokesperson didn’t want to say much on the matter but dig your teeth into another juicy section of the article:

The Journal sourced its story to people “briefed on (Google’s) plans,” saying the TV package could include programming from major channels from companies such as Walt Disney Co., Time Warner Inc. and Discovery Communications Inc. The story said those possibilities appeared far from settled.

Google hired former cable TV executive Jeremy Stern for talks with production companies, the newspaper said.

Just last Friday, YouTube announced that it was developing 100 channels focused mostly on niches, such as how-to instruction, dance, pets and soccer. Google owns YouTube. That video service, like most everything Google does, runs on advertising.

Also don’t forget that Google recently launched YouTube Live. In addition, Google’s main business is advertising and they used to offer products that allowed for the purchase of network/cable television and radio advertising through a real-time bidding interface. That opportunity proved a bust, but if they can wedge themselves into actually PROVIDING the television entertainment? The barrier to being the ad provider will be reduced to rubble.

This entire thing is part of the Google Fiber experiment limited to Kansas City. The new technology should provide blazing fast internet speeds that offer 100X faster download speeds and 1,000X upload speeds. That much is sure… the Cable Television bit is currently limited to speculation. But can you imagine if Google positioned themselves as the key enabler on the web, on your phone, AND on your TV?

I believe that’s going to happen, mostly due to increasing internet speeds and the availability of Android Market and other web media on your TV via Google. If the Cable TV opportunity proves more difficult than Google believes and eventually vanquish, it will be do to one of four things: (1) They never try it, (2) resistance from providers selling Google their content (much like the record companies with music), (3) anti-trust issues with Google controlling too much of the media world, (4) Google isn’t great at providing customer support as we learned with the Nexus One.

But then again, on that last one… it’s hard to provide customer service worse than Comcast. Or is it Xfinity?

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