Google Fiber is on the verge of releasing new 4K set top box with Wi-Fi accessibility. The announcement comes in spite of the lesser number of subscribers to the video services and its operations being cut back to some extent.
According to Engadget, an FCC listing has revealed that Google Fiber's 4K wireless set-top box will be equipped with Bluetooth 4.1 and Wi-Fi bands operating in the 5GHz and 2.4GHz spectrum. If assumed accurately, it is going to be the Google Fiber's first TV streaming box having Wi-Fi and 4K for the latest generation of TV's. As per a "9 to 5 Google" report released in October, the new TV box can connect with the Network Box via Wi-Fi. Prior to this, it had to be connected by coax, which Google Fiber killed a long way back, or Ethernet. The box reportedly supports 4K, HDR streaming from Netflix, YouTube and other companies.
Google Fiber has failed to take off despite repeated efforts from the press. The number has estimated to under a million users and as of last year, video subscriber numbers were shockingly small. According to Google, the competitors are not eager enough to help them, and it is quite expensive to build a broadband infrastructure, as stated at a telecom trade conference held last week.
If the progress bar is looked at, Google Fiber has been able to set up only 33 poles in Nashville compared to the 11000 needed after 11 months. This is because it requires approval from every other company with equipment and it takes at least 60 days to set up one pole. Because of all these and more, it reportedly costs Google $1 billion to introduce Google Fiber in a new market, which makes it too expensive to be profitable.
According to Business Insider, there has been no official announcement about when the Google Fiber set-top box will be launched. But certain documents in the Google Filings including photos and user manual of the device have been kept confidential FCC until August 8th, 2017. The device is supposed to be available before that.
Currently, further plans to expand Google Fiber set-top box's availability to additional cities have been put on hold. Hundreds of jobs related to the project have also been laid off or transferred.
