Former Google Fiber GM Kevin Lo Joins Facebook As Director Of Infrastructure Connectivity
Facebook’s gain is Google’s loss. In a top level churn, former Google Fiber exec and co-founder Kevin Lo has joined Facebook as Director of Infrastructure Connectivity and Investments to help lead the social networking giant’s partnerships such as Terragraph – a project to bring Wi-Fi to dense urban areas and Facebook’s partnership with Microsoft to build a fibre optic cable, according to Re/Code.
Lo will report to the Vice President of Infrastructure Jason Taylor. “We’re excited to have Kevin join Facebook. Kevin will help shape our strategy and broader framework for Facebook’s infrastructure connectivity investments with partners. He will work alongside Facebook’s infrastructure and connectivity teams to help build an active partner ecosystem and accelerate the adoption of new technologies that can drastically change the economics of deploying internet infrastructure,” said Facebook in a statement.
Facebook says that it is definitely not getting into the service-provider business like Google Fiber and that Lo will not work on the controversial Free Basics, the company’s controversial app in developing countries which provides free internet for selected applications via agreements that the company has signed with telecom companies.
Confirming his employment in a Facebook post (see below), Lo said that he wants to bring on-board over four billion people who lag behind in terms of using high-speed internet services:
“I’m excited to let you know that I’m joining Facebook this month as director of infrastructure connectivity and investments. I’ll help shape our strategy and investments with partners to build wireless technologies and ecosystems that improve global connectivity.
Facebook has worked hard over the past decade to make the world more open and connected–from partner oriented initiatives like OCP (Open Compute Project) and TIP (Telecom Infra Project) to new wireless connectivity technologies and long-haul fiber optic cables. I’m thrilled about the opportunity to work with like-minded colleagues in leveraging Facebook’s open and collaborative approach to innovation.”
Lo joined Google in 2010 and ran Google Fiber for five years, leading its operations in its initial three cities. He left Google last year shortly before its reorganisation.
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