Source: NurPhoto / Getty
Super-fast wifi is coming to a city near you very soon thanks to Facebook and Qualcomm.
Facebook back in 2016 announced Terragraph, one of two wireless systems specifically designed to help bring internet service to underserved areas. The 60GHz wireless network can push internet through buildings in the dense urban locations. Now the social media giant announced they will be teaming up with Qualcomm to make that system even more robust.
In a move that will allow manufacturers to start building 60GHz broadcast equipment, Qualcomm will now put Facebook’s Terragraph technology in upcoming chipsets. The two companies expect to start running trials of the new technology sometime mid-2019. Based on 802.11ay WLAN standard technology, the two companies have managed to add some tweaks such as massive antenna arrays, channel bonding, time synchronized nodes and TDMA protocols. The new enhancements will allow signals to serve more users, navigate through obstacles found in urban settings all at a reduced upfront cost according to Facebook.
The primary goal is to bring high-speed internet to areas where laying fiber would be a costly task. There is no word on whether Facebook will use the service to offer its own straight up internet service. The social media company already has a no-cost service called Free Basics which provides users Facebook and reduced web services. The service is available in over 50 nations via 81 mobile service providers. It was recently pulled from Myanmar and other countries by Facebook due to the fact fake news and propaganda were running rampant on the service.
Despite their tumultuous year, looks like Facebook still has plans to be everywhere.
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Photo: NurPhoto / Getty
