AT&T Deploys Project AirGig Trials

After over a decade of research, planning, and development, AT&T Project AirGig has finally launched trials and is currently being tested internationally and in the US.

(Source: AT&T)

AT&T has always been at the forefront of delivering innovative technologies that keep people and businesses around the world connected wirelessly. With “over 300 patents and patent applications,” Project AirGig is a milestone technology developed at AT&T Labs that aims to deliver wireless internet to “urban, rural, and underserved parts of the world.”

If trials are successful, this technology, called “broadband over power lines” (BPL) gives AT&T the ability to expand services far beyond their current broadband and wireline areas.

Project AirGig delivers “last-mile internet” using antennas attached to existing power lines, running alongside the power lines rather than within. The antennas developed by AT&T, called Radio Distributed Antenna System (RDAS), are cost-efficient devices that can be attached to existing infrastructure. The new system will eliminate the need for building new infrastructure for deployment. With 5G wireless testing already well underway, Project AirGig will be capable of delivering multigigabit internet on a license-free spectrum to keep up with the current trials and anticipated final speeds of 5G networks.

Project AirGig Trials

According to RCR Wireless, AT&T has not disclosed the international location of Project AirGig trials. Georgia Power provided a press release earlier in December announcing their partnership with AT&T to begin testing Project AirGig in rural Georgia. According to Georgia Power, the trials include the installation of AT&T’s antennae, which are clamped on to power lines by electricians without a direct electrical connection. Georgia Power will also monitor connectivity and ensure that there are no negative impacts on the reliability of electrical service to its millions of customers.

Project AirGig will bring low-cost benefits to consumers currently using AT&T’s wired, wireless, and software-defined networks. According to John Donovan, chief strategy officer and group president, Technology and Operations at AT&T, “Project AirGig has tremendous potential to transform internet access globally – well beyond our current broadband footprint and not just in the United States but also to quickly bring connectivity to all parts of the world.”