AT&T AirGig to Test Broadband Over Power Lines

[AF5J]

When i first saw the story of AirGig what came to mind was all the issues with BPL.
But they say it is not BPL but it sure seems very close to the same technology.
To be in service in selected areas in a year after lab Test? I don't have faith in
it but I'm not going to be closed minded about it. I already have so much noise, and
the electric company here Texas New Mexico Power, wont even show up to attempt
to correct it.
AT&T AirGig to Test Broadband Over Power Lines
 http://www.pcmag.com/news/348044/at-t-airgig-to-test-broadband-over-power-lines 

[kb3ouk]

After reading a few articles, it's definitely NOT the same as BPL. Sounds like what they are doing are mounting this little wireless internet nodes on each pole that use millimeter wavelengths (at several GHz, not HF like BPL) to create what basically amounts to a giant mesh network that follows the power lines, but it does not use the lines to actually transmit data.

[AF5J]

Perhaps that was a Literal statement, Broadband "OVER" Power lines. meaning it will be on top of the poles or above the power lines.

[flintstone mop]

After reading a few articles, it's definitely NOT the same as BPL. Sounds like what they are doing are mounting this little wireless internet nodes on each pole that use millimeter wavelengths (at several GHz, not HF like BPL) to create what basically amounts to a giant mesh network that follows the power lines, but it does not use the lines to actually transmit data.

MESH is the nice new technology. I think Amateur Radio guys started experimenting with that. I hope it works out. There are many many people still stuck with dial-up in rural areas. They can't afford Hughes satellite internet and there is no cable TV, and cell phones are even a challenge.

[WD5JKO]

I wonder how this all ties into the topic of this thread:

AT&T (T) to Phase Out U-verse Brand, Upgrade Plans

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/t-t-phase-u-verse-130001353.html


Here is one comment after the article:

"ALUMN I23
Am a Directvsubscriber for the past 18 years, I live in the boonies more then 60 miles from a broadcast center in either direction. Since the onslaught of Digital TV & the selling of the TV frequencies (during the BUSH years-GWB43) Now I am forced to BUY TV from either Cable, Satellite or Telephone operators in order to have complete local coverage. ALL of the local channel operators lowered their power output signal to only have a range of 50 miles from their broadcast locations!!!. This is what you don't realize 60% of America lives FURTHER then 50 miles from broadcast antenna's & is forced into BUYING TV... from wither a cable company, Satellite company , phone company. "

I wonder if that is true about the over the air TV signals lowering the power?

Jim
Wd5JKO

[W1ITT]

Jim..
Yes, the power reduction is true.  On the mountain above my back stone wall there is a Channel 8 station.  In analog they ran about 35KW transmitter power output.  On the same channel, with DTV they run a tad over 3 KW TPO into the same antenna.
Someone decided that the DTV signals and detection methods were so efficient that about a 10 db cut would be in order, and many in the boonies are out of luck, especially the people trying to receive a UHF channel signal.  The people who make the rules live in the city, or perhaps suburbia, and seem to think that all the rest of us sit on a fat fiber connection, I suppose.
The station in question actually contacted the local power utility to inform them that they would be permanently reducing their demand.  One cool thing is that they now have a full-house uninterruptible power supply running the place.  It will operate the station for quite a while until the Caterpillar diesels decide to start up.  The other cool thing is that my town's public service radios sit up there and don't even bat an eye when those of us in the valley lose mains power.
The broadcast biz has changed plenty since I got started in it almost a half century ago.  Don't even get me going about short wave BC....

[WD5JKO]

Another article on this topic that gets a little more into the technical:
http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2016/09/atts-airgig-uses-power-lines-for-multi-gigabit-wireless-broadband/?comments=1

Here are the radio's used:
http://www.siklu.com/products/

Jim
Wd5JKO

[WD8BIL]

Fred, mesh has been around for quite some time. The mining industry has been using mesh networks for more than 10 years now. 'Course the present day mesh nets are far more involved then the basic ones used in the early 2000s.
 

[KL7OF]

Hughesnet is the only option for me in Tum Tum, WA...It is expensive, slow, and undependable.   Their customer service is terrible...I would try almost any option to rid myself of Hughesnet...