
Qualcomm, Facebook look to 60-GHz wireless for fast internet in cities
The goal of this terrestrial connectivity system, say the companies, is to improve the speed, efficiency, and quality of internet connectivity around the world at only a fraction of the cost of fiber deployments. The project will use Facebook’s Terragraph technology through the development of a multi-node wireless system based on 60-GHz technology from Qualcomm Technologies.
In the collaboration, Qualcomm will integrate its QCA6438 and QCA6428 family of pre-802.11ay chipsets with the Terragraph technology, which supports broadband connectivity through a network based on millimeter-wave (mmWave) wireless backhaul. This effort, say the companies, will enable manufacturers to build 60-GHz mmWave solutions using the unlicensed 60-GHz spectrum and provide Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) to offer consumers in urban areas access to high-speed broadband connections.
Qualcomm has optimized its solution for outdoor backhaul by introducing a number of enhancements – such as TDMA-based protocol, time synchronized nodes, channel bonding, and massive antenna array – to overcome large obstacles in dense urban environments, deliver high-capacity coverage, and the potential to reduce costs and time to market.
“Our collaboration with Facebook will bring advanced 11ad and pre-11ay technologies to market increasing broadband penetration and enabling operators to reduce their capex for last mile access,” says Irvind Ghai, vice president, product management, Qualcomm Atheros, Inc., a subsidiary of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. “Terragraph cloud controller and TDMA architecture coupled with Qualcomm Technologies solution’s 10 Gbps link rate, low power consumption and early interference mitigation techniques will help make gigabit connectivity a reality.”
Yael Maguire, vice president of connectivity at Facebook adds, “We’re excited to work with Qualcomm Technologies to advance the adoption of pre-802.11ay and 802.11ad 60-GHz technologies and build a robust ecosystem of interoperable solutions based on Terragraph. With Terragraph, our goal is to enable people living in urban areas to access high-quality connectivity that can help create new opportunities and strengthen communities.”
The companies expect to begin trials of the integrated solution in mid 2019.
See also: Competing visions of 5G and millimetre wave
See also: Testing amplifiers for 5G with up to 2 GHz analysis bandwidth
See also: Blu Wireless joins the Telecom Infrastructure Project to drive 60 GHz wireless networking
