AT&T AirGig to Test Broadband Over Power Lines

AT&T says AirGig uses newly designed antennas to create an electromagnetic field that speeds and guides radio waves along power lines.

AT&T (T) announced Project AirGig, a technology aimed at delivering multigigabit-per-second wireless internet speeds over power lines.

The technology uses plastic antennas placed at the top of utility poles.

AT&T’s plastic antennas basically act as repeaters for millimeter wave signals that can deliver 4G LTE or next-gen, multi-gigabit wireless signals.

The process, developed by AT&T Labs, is easier and cheaper to deploy than fiber optic cable, uses license-free spectrum space, and can deliver wireless connectivity to any home or handheld device, AT&T said. The antennas are also made from low-priced plastic, which would reduce hardware and deployment costs and potentially expand internet access in underserved areas.

AT&T says they expect to begin field trials in 2017.

“The results we’ve seen from our outdoor labs testing have been encouraging, especially as you think about where we’re heading in a 5G world”, AT&T Technology and Operations Chief Strategy Officer and Group President John Donovan said in a statement.

Without revealing too much detail about how their new system worked, the executives said the crucial difference was that they were not encoding and transmitting information inside the electrical currents flowing through power lines.

Power companies could also benefit from Project Airgig rollouts.

AT&T isn’t the only company exploring wireless gigabit internet.

Donovan said that the company hasn’t firmly added AirGig to its own technology roadmap, but hopes to use it both in the US and potentially in other countries where it doesn’t now offer service.

The technology is still in the early stages of development, but Donovan said AT&T is now scoping out trial locations both in the USA and overseas.

The lack of a need to bury cables or erect towers will help speed deployment and keep costs low, Donovan said.

The Dallas-based tech giant has more than 100 patents and applications associated with AirGig, a project it’s been working on for about a decade. It could also allow for early detection of line integrity issues, such as encroaching tree branches, AT&T said.