Google depends on the internet like few other companies. Starting as a search engine, it now powers some of the world’s most-used services—such as YouTube and Gmail—and has also launched its own high-speed internet offering known as Google Fiber.
Because its business benefits when more people are online, Google has pursued multiple initiatives to expand access. Beyond operating as an internet service provider itself, the company has invested in projects aimed at connecting underserved and remote regions. One notable example is Project Loon, which used high-altitude balloons to deliver internet service to difficult-to-reach areas.
Recently, Google acquired a small 5G-related company called Alpental Technologies. The acquisition was completed weeks ago but remained confidential for a time; Google has not provided details about specific plans for the purchase.
It’s reasonable to speculate that Google may be considering mobile network capabilities as a complement to Google Fiber, and possibly as a way to further support the growth of Android devices. Google has funded many experimental network initiatives that never reached the market, but the engineering expertise behind those efforts often persists and could influence future developments.
The name Alpental—German for “Alpine Valley”—reflects the company’s origins. Founded by former Clearwire engineers Michael Hart and Pete Gelbman, Alpental developed high-speed wireless technology that operates in the 60 GHz spectrum band.
Equipment using the 60 GHz band has been deployed to connect buildings up to a mile apart at multi-gigabit speeds—reportedly reaching up to 7 Gbps—offering an alternative to laying fiber optic cable. Those speeds are far above the offerings of many consumer broadband plans, which typically fall below one gigabit per second.
On his LinkedIn profile, co-founder Pete Gelbman described Alpental’s product as “self-organizing, ultra-low power Gigabit wireless technology” designed to extend the reach of fiber networks. He said the solution targeted dense urban environments and was intended to interoperate with next-generation 5G networks and Wi-Fi.
Google Fiber is already available in Kansas City and is expanding to locations including Austin, Texas, and Provo, Utah. The company has evaluated demand in dozens of other metro areas and previously indicated intentions to incorporate Wi-Fi to broaden the coverage of its Fiber service.
Whether Google will ultimately build a full 5G mobile network remains uncertain. The acquisition of Alpental suggests interest in advanced wireless technologies and capacity to experiment with new ways to deliver high-speed connectivity. If Google chooses to combine fiber, millimeter-wave wireless, and Wi-Fi strategically, the result could expand options for consumers and offer alternatives to traditional carriers.
Do you think we’ll ever see a Google 5G mobile network? Let us know in the comments.