At its annual developer conference in 2016, Facebook announced plans to bring high-speed WiFi to densely populated areas. And now, Qualcomm has offered to partner with it to make that project a reality.
On Monday, Qualcomm announced that its upcoming chipsets will feature its advanced Terragraph technology, a move that is aimed at encouraging developers to work on new hardware that can support data exchange at 60 GHz, which is unlicensed in most countries.
Terragraph is a technology that works by placing antennas on streetlights that emit high-frequency radio waves that can penetrate highly populated areas. It is a pre-8.2.11ay-based standard. This technology is an alternative to fiber optic networking and is best applied in areas where underground cabling is limited or impractical.
"Our partnership with Facebook will bring advanced 11ad and 11ay technologies to increase broadband penetration and enable operators to reduce the costs of delivering network to consumers," says Qualcomm's official blog post
Qualcomm will improve the technology using channel bonding, massive antenna arrays, TDMA protocols, and synchronization protocols. This will allow signals to overcome obstacles previously encountered in urban areas and also reduce installation costs.
Testing is expected to begin in the middle of next year. San Jose is the preferred location for testing, as suggested by Facebook in 2016.
