The world we live in today could be nothing not just because of a lack of internet, but due to a lack of ultra-fast internet. However, AT&T is aware of this and it is ready to put this issue to bed with its Project AirGig.
In the new project that could be rolled out as early as next year, American carrier AT&T has plans to start supplying ultra-fast internet with the help of power lines. This Project AirGig is aimed at providing American residents with an affordable alternative to high-quality internet speeds using the usual power lines. Apparently, what AT&T is looking for is nothing similar to what the likes of IBM and Google did years ago, instead, the carrier is set to deliver this high-speed internet around power lines and not through them.
With the world today more dependent on the internet, there is no doubt that AT&T will be spreading its wings to other parts of the country with this move, including the most inaccessible rural areas. With the use of power lines, it is possible for more people to get access to ultra-fast internet that makes it easy to stream 4K content from the likes of Netflix as well as making video calls on Skype.
According to AT&T, Project AirGig will make use of plastic antennas that are capable of delivering data signals and stick them on existing power lines. This will then create an electromagnetic field meant to guide the data signals across the cables. With this effort, AT&T will be able to cover over 200K miles of high-voltage lines as well as over 5.5 million miles of local distribution lines.
Even though AT&T claims that the entire Project AirGig is cheaper when it comes to implementation as compared to the likes of fiber-optic cables or even cell phone towers, there are no exact figures to justify this claim. Still, the fact that the nation is already covered in power lines will for sure make life a lot easier for the carrier, which could be the source of the low-cost internet services to be offered.
After successful lab tests, AT&T will roll out Project AirGig to a number of select cities across the country, but this will have to wait until somewhere next year. The major targets are regions that have been cut off internet access due to their remoteness, but they still have access to power. The minimum speed targeted by the company is LTE, which is what you get with most current smartphones.