Facebook and Qualcomm will bring fast Wi-Fi to cities in mid-2019

INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Facebook been talking Terragraph since way back during its 2016 F8 keynote
The social media giant ambitious plan to bring fast Wi-Fi to cities is taking another key step toward real world trials with the addition of
Qualcomm
The chipmaking giant announced today that it will add the 60Ghz tech to its future chipsets, with plans to start trials in the middle of
next year. &It is based on the pre-802.11ay standard with enhancements provided by the Qualcomm Technologies& chipset and the integrated
software between Facebook and Qualcomm Technologies to support efficient outdoor operation and avoid interference in dense environments,&
Qualcomm writes in the announcement. San Jose has already been floated as a potential testing ground for the technology
It not the biggest U.S
city, but the Silicon Valley hub should prove a solid testing ground with its tech savvy population
The companies say the tech will be useful in lowering the cost of high-speed wireless and helping deliver connectivity to populated areas
with significant obstacles, including those densely packed with buildings
The latter, naturally, makes Terragraph a natural for urban environments, where digging up the ground for fiber is a nuisance, to say the
least
Facebook is also looking to service more rural spots with its Antenna Radio Integration for Efficiency in Spectrum (ARIES) system, a
technology that was unveiled at the same F8 event.