Access, Alphabet’s Google Fiber Company Taking On Cable, Broadband | Re/code

From a profile of the A in Alphabet

"What ties Access together may be the founding ethos of Fiber. The project was born after Google’s unexpected move to bid on wireless spectrum in 2007. Then CEO Eric Schmidt was obsessed with cutting down barriers between Google and its end customer, according to people who worked on the founding team. At the time, the companies sitting between Google and regular users included Microsoft’s operating systems and browser and the Internet service providers. Fiber would fill the second gap — and, in a few short years, mark a significant dent in Google’s investment with no immediate payoff on its balance sheet.

If Nest is the test of Alphabet’s ability to rope in a startup and operate it independently, Access will gauge whether Larry Page’s enterprise can string together skunkworks born inside Google and create a viable, profitable business, not just a costly one."

Access, Alphabet’s Google Fiber Company Taking On Cable, Broadband | Re/code