AT&T announced more details on its planned trial of AirGig, a new broadband technology developed by the operator using mmWave spectrum over powerlines. The company said it is in advanced discussions with power companies and others to trial AirGig in at least two locations by this fall. One location will be in the US, and the others will be determined in the coming months. The company also confirmed that it's started deploying small cells based on a Centralised RAN (C-RAN) architecture in the city of San Francisco. This deployment, which will be replicated in other cities, will densify its mobile network and help lay the groundwork for 5G.
AT&T Labs invented low-cost plastic antennas, a Radio Distributed Antenna System (RDAS), mmWave surface wave launchers and inductive power devices for the project. The RDAS will reconstruct signals for multi-gigabit mobile and fixed deployments. The mmWave surface wave launchers and inductive power devices can power themselves without a direct electrical connection. These devices create a multi-gigabit signal that travels along or near the wire – not through it. This means delivering broadband and mobile traffic without the need to build towers or lay cables.
AT&T plans to test in future how AirGig can support smart power grids, such as meter, appliance and usage control systems and early detection of powerline integrity issues. The trials will also evaluate the technology during inclement weather, such as rain, snow and high winds.
The company also confirmed that it's started deploying small cells based on a Centralised RAN (C-RAN) architecture in the city of San Francisco. This deployment, which will be replicated in other cities, will densify its mobile network and help lay the groundwork for 5G. Additionally, the company said it agreed to acquire FiberTower and its mmWave spectrum rights to assist in the 5G plans. FiberTower holds spectrum in the 24 and 39 GHz bands.
Small cells will be installed on light posts and other public infrastructure in the urban core of San Francisco and controlled from the central RAN. That means all the base band units of each small cell or tower will exist in one location, making it easier to adjust capacity and transition to a software-based network.
