GOOGLE’s new wireless internet network in Mountain View, California, might sound like an eccentric bit of fun, but those familiar with the group think it is anything but. The $1 million (£528,000) cost of kitting out the Silicon Valley town with a network of wireless “Wifi” receivers won’t rock the coffers of the multibillion-dollar search empire.
Although company executives insist that it won’t pave the way for a nationwide rollout, Google has created the ability to pinpoint where its users are living or working. That could prove lucrative because it allows advertisements to be targeted more precisely. Adverts have been linked to search terms, but the new internet network can sort them according to where the user is based, too.
Google may claim that this is only an experiment, but rivals such as AOL will no doubt keep a close eye on it.