How Google TiSP Works
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Google TiSP
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Originally announced on April 1, 2007, Google's TiSP (Toilet Internet Service Provider) created quite a stir in industry circles--until people had their 1st cup of coffee and realized that this was 1 of many Google April Fool's Day jokes. Several well-respected tech-related sites, including SlashDot and Real Tech News, immediately spread the story. The comments section on SlashDot produced more than a few humorous comments.
How TiSP worked
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TiSP was presented as a wireless Internet connection that could be installed in anyone's home with the Google home self-installation kit. The installation process was described "GFlushing," the weighted end of a spool of fiber optic cable down what Google termed as "Dark Porcelain" where it would be connected to Google fiber network. This connection was estimated to take place within 60 minutes, depending on "proper data flow" where a team of PHDs (Plumbing Hardware Dispatchers) would make the connection. The PHDs were represented as men in SCUBA outfits, standing in your sewerage treatment plants, apparently waiting for your cable to arrive. Google also claimed to offer a professional installation service using "an army of factory-trained, sub-contracted nanobots" which, if you clicked through the supplied link hinted at TiSP being an April Fool's Day joke.
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Real World Technology
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As with all good jokes, the Google TiSP hoax actually had its roots in real technology, to a point. In many areas, fiber optic cable had been deployed during the construction of sewer systems, generally meant for the utility to be able to communicate between remote locations, for data collection, among its other uses. Rochester, N.Y., looked at the possibility of opening up these assets but at the time this article was written, no tangible action has been taken.
Robotic Fiber Sewer Installation
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In 2001, Stream Intelligent Networks Corporation announced it was planning a fiber deployment in Mississauga, Ontario, using robotics developed by a German company, Robotics Cabling Co., GmbH. The company appears to have ceased operation, as its web address no longer provides any information about the company or this project. However, Ca-Botics, another company, does produce equipment that will install fiber into sewer systems, but its website does not appear to have been updated since 2001.
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