Enlarge / An antenna used by AT&T’s Project AirGig. (credit: AT&T)
AT&T is developing wireless technology that uses power lines to guide wireless signals to their destination and potentially deliver multi-gigabit Internet speeds. The technology is experimental and not close to commercial deployment, but it could potentially—in a few years—be used to deliver smartphone data or home Internet.
Project AirGig from AT&T Labs, announced yesterday, revives the possibility of using power lines for Internet service—but in a surprising way. Signals would not travel inside the power lines, but near the lines. “Low-cost plastic antennas and devices located along the power line” send wireless signals to each other, using the power lines as a guide, AT&T said.
“We’re experimenting with multiple ways to send a modulated radio signal around or near medium-voltage power lines,” AT&T’s announcement said. “There’s no direct electrical connection to the power line required, and it has the potential of multi-gigabit speeds in urban, rural, and underserved parts of the world.”
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Source: Ars Technica – AT&T’s AirGig uses power lines for multi-gigabit, wireless broadband