Google: Time for world domination?

...also known as dark fibre, seems to support Arnold's theory.

"Dark fibre will enable greater dependency on what I call virtual applications," he said. "Once those high-speed connections link the dozen or so Google data centres, they will do stuff better, enable much more than telephony, media delivery."

Joe Kraus, a founder of the Excite.com portal that merged with Internet service provider @Home before filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2001, agreed that Google executives are likely to be thinking big, although he acknowledged he "doesn't have the slightest clue" what they are doing.

"They've been buying dark fibre for a good five years. It allows them to have such cheap communications between all their data centres," said Kraus, chief executive of online start-up JotSpot.

"A lot of people have talked about Google's core ability to host thousands of applications and being your desktop in the sky," he said. "They certainly never fail to take advantage of it when launching new products."

Google also has invested in Current Communications Group, a provider of broadband-over-power-line technology. In addition, there are rumours that Google is eyeing satellite technology that drives its 3D Google Earth application.

"They said, back when they invested in the Internet-over-power-lines company, that part of their corporate mission is 'promoting universal access to the Internet for users,'" said Danny Sullivan, editor of Search Engine Watch. "They seem to think they need to make sure everybody can get online, and running your own network certainly makes that a lot easier."

This week, Google quietly launched Google Secure Access, a beta version of a downloadable client application that allows users to establish a secure, encrypted network connection while using a Wi-Fi wireless network. The program can be downloaded at certain Google Wi-Fi locations in the San Francisco Bay Area, Google said, without stating exactly where those locations are.

The company also has been working with San Francisco company Feeva on Wi-Fi access since earlier this year, Feeva spokesman Keith Kamisugi confirmed on Tuesday. He declined to elaborate, except to say that Feeva and Google offer a free Wi-Fi hot spot at the trendy Union Square shopping area in downtown San Francisco. People who connect to the network see a Google Search splash page, Kamisugi said.

Google spokesman Nate Tyler told Reuters that it was running a limited test of a free wireless Internet service, called Google Wi-Fi, with hot spots in a pizza restuarant and a gym located near the company's headquarters.

Google also recently purchased Android, a...

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