Wireless internet service provider (ISP) Common Networks announced it has launched the first commercial deployment of wireless rooftop hardware to customer homes that leverages the new 802.11ay standard, via the Qualcomm 60GHz Wi-Fi chipset, and Terragraph, a gigabit wireless technology by Facebook Connectivity.
The new 60GHz hardware, currently in live operation on customer homes, delivers a 4.6 Gbps peak data rate in one direction (the highest data rate in the unlicensed spectrum) and will allow Common to offer its fastest internet service plan of 300 Mbps to more homes.
“Common is dedicated to making fast and affordable internet accessible to everyone,” said Common CEO and co-founder Grace Chen. “This groundbreaking new hardware furthers that mission by allowing us to bring even higher speeds deeper into our wireless network. We’re thrilled to be working with Qualcomm and Facebook to bring all of the best wireless technology together to create Peregrine.”
With the Peregrine system, Common Networks utilizes the Qualcomm 60GHz Wi-Fi chipset to bring internet to customer homes. By combining the 60GHz Wi-Fi chipset with Common’s own proprietary Wireless Graph Network technology, Common says it is able to bring its highest speeds to more people than ever before. In addition to expanding access to Common’s 300 Mbps plan immediately, the new hardware paves the way for the launch of a 1 Gbps home internet plan later this year. This furthers the company’s mission to deliver fiber-class home internet speeds at a fraction of the cost of traditional solutions.
Peregrine works with Common Networks’ Wireless Graph Network software as part of their multi-spectrum, software-automated network. According to the company, the unique network setup uses smart routing and monitoring capability to manage traffic across multiple spectrums, delivering reliable internet to homes while drastically lowering the initial costs of connection.
Peregrine also leverages advanced networking software features from Facebook Connectivity’s Terragraph, allowing for the rapid deployment of an unlicensed 60GHz multi-gigabit wireless network using existing building assets to create a robust wireless mesh distribution network at a lower cost than that of a trenched fiber network. Peregrine will take advantage of Terragraph’s time synchronization of nodes feature, which reduces radio interference that can be a challenge with high-speed wireless networking.
“Coupled with key 802.11ay enhancements, our 60GHz Wi-Fi chipset unleashes the power of unlicensed mmWave spectrum to deliver multi-gigabit fixed wireless access,” said Dino Bekis, vice president and general manager, mobile connectivity and compute, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. “We are pleased to be working with Common Networks on making ultra-high speed, low-latency internet accessible to more people, wirelessly.”
Common notes that it offers fast, affordable internet to homes using wireless technology, with free installation, all equipment included, and no contracts or extra taxes or fees. Common’s monthly plans deliver up to 300Mbps for $49 per month. Later this year, Common will be releasing a new tier of 1 Gbps service, made possible by the Peregrine hardware.
To learn more about Common Networks, visit: https://www.common.net.