Qualcomm and Facebook are working together to deliver high-speed internet connectivity using Facebook’s Terragraph technology through a multi-node wireless system based on Qualcomm’s 60 GHz technology.
Facebook’s Terragraph technology supports broadband connectivity through a network based on millimeter-wave wireless backhaul. It is based on the pre-802.11ay standard with enhancements provided by Qualcomm’s chipset and the integrated software between Facebook and Qualcomm to support efficient outdoor operation and avoid interference in dense environments. Specifically, 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 among others, to overcome large obstacles in dense urban environments, deliver high-capacity coverage, and the potential to reduce costs and time to market.
Working with leading operators and manufacturers, this terrestrial connectivity system aims to improve the speed, efficiency and quality of internet connectivity around the world at a fraction of the cost of fiber deployments. Qualcomm will integrate its QCA6438 and QCA6428 family of pre-802.11ay chipsets with Facebook's Terragraph technology. This effort will help 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. The companies expect to begin trials of the integrated solution mid-2019.
The collaboration will bring advanced 11ad and pre-11ay technologies to market increasing broadband penetration and enabling operators to reduce their capex for last mile access. Terragraph cloud controller and TDMA architecture coupled with Qualcomm’s 10 Gbps link rate, low power consumption and early interference mitigation techniques will help make gigabit connectivity a reality.
