Facebook has announced new progress in its efforts to support telecom equipment and operators that expands internet access. The company is bringing its open mobile platform Magma to Amazon Web Services to help grow edge computing services, and its Terragraph 60 GHz technology is now available on equipment from more OEMs. In a statement released for MWC, the company also outlined its latest partnerships with network operators for fibre networks in developing markets and the expansion of its public Wi-Fi services.
Magma was first released as an open source project at MWC Barcelona in 2019, and the packet core has since been brought under the Linux Foundation. Magma on AWS Marketplace will enable service providers to deploy 4G and 5G networks significantly faster by obtaining AWS infrastructure preinstalled with Magma for their business needs, no matter how large or small the deployment, Facebook. OEM partners for Magma also include Baicells and Blinq, which are integrating their RAN platforms with Magma to provide a more flexible way to deploy networks.
Terragraph CPE
Facebook also has multiple OEM supporters for Terragraph, its gigabit wireless technology using the 60 GHz band. To date, partners including Cambium Networks, Edgecore Networks, Radwin, and Siklu have shipped more than 20,000 Terragraph-enabled hardware products to more than 100 service providers and system integrators globally for a variety of applications.
MikroTik is the latest Terragraph licensee to commercially launch CPE. Its Cube 60Pro series offers up to 800m point-to-point distance and up to 500m point-to-multipoint, targeting enterprise deployments such as shopping centres, stadiums and industrial parks.
Fibre in DRC, Pakistan, Indonesia
In addition to developing equipment, Facebook also partners with network operators to expand internet access. As part of efforts to address fibre gaps in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), it's announcing a partnership with Liquid Intelligent Technologies to build 2,200 km of fibre to increase active long-haul fibre in DRC. This build will complete a missing fibre link between East and West Africa, and establish DRC as a connection hub for neighboring landlocked countries, including Rwanda, Uganda, and Zambia, the company said. It builds on its work on DRC’s first privately held long-haul fibre route, from Muanda to Matadi.
In Pakistan, the company also agreed a first terrestrial fibre investment. With the operator Nayatel, it will build 1,700 km of open-access fibre to help address the growing demand for urban connectivity for 10 million people across eight cities. In Indonesia, Facebook's also increasing its investment with Alita Praya Mitra to add fibre to the initial build areas and to additional cities to address the increasing demand for high-speed internet.
Wi-Fi monetisation
At a more local level, Facebook helps ISPs and businesses offer Wi-Fi services. Its Express Wi-Fi platform is used by partners in more than 30 countries, including Brazil, India, Indonesia, Nepal, and Nigeria, helping millions of people connect to Wi-Fi every month. The company has added more analytics and monetization capabilities this past year to help partners grow the services, including ways to partner with local businesses on ad campaigns that pay for internet access.
The Facebook Wi-Fi service for small and medium-sized businesses to manage guest Wi-Fi is also used by more than 100,000 SMBs globally. Facebook Wi-Fi now integrates with a business’s Instagram presence to attract more users and engagement. The service requires a compatible router, available from suppliers such as EnGenius Technologies and Intelbras. Customers can then connect to the business’s Wi-Fi with their Facebook or Instagram logins, and are given the option to check-in to their Facebook page or follow the business on Instagram as a way of showing support.
