Google to Build Satellite Antenna Farm Near Data Center for Video Services

Google has asked permission for an interesting building project, it plans to erect several satellite antennas near one of its data centers, though it hasn't provided many details on what it plans to do with them.

Google, specifically, Google Fiber a Google subsidiary, wants to build a number of satellite antennas focused on the C-band and the Ku-band.

Both earth stations will be receive-only, i.e. there will be no transmissions going out.

This would render the stations useless for Google's main interest communications. This also indicates that, despite the close proximity to the data center, the move isn't about networking or computing.

Rather, the stations will be used to receive radio or TV broadcasts from satellites. The owner of the project, Google Fiber, provides a clue as to why Google would need this.

Google Fiber is in charge of developing a fiber-optics network that would provide gigabit internet connections to subscribers. It's starting with an experimental project in Kansas City.

There has been speculation about a video component and it seems like Google plans to offer TV channels via its fiber network along with the internet service. Of course, this is all speculation at this point, but there are few reasons why Google would want to build these earth stations.

Google Fiber plans to place an array of 4.5 meter satellite dishes near its data center in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Google started work on the $600 million data center there in 2007 when it also bought some additional land near the location. DataCenterKnowledge believes that this is where the antennas will be placed.

The company claimed that the Google Fiber project was created in order to allow it to develop and test new technologies and to prove that a 1 Gbps home connection was feasible, both technically and financially.