AT&T begins testing high-speed internet over power lines
AT&T begins testing high-speed internet over power
lines
By Anjali Athavaley DECEMBER 12, 2017 / 9:14 PM
NEW YORK (Reuters) - AT&T Inc has started trials in
Georgia state and a non-U.S. location to deliver high-speed internet over power
lines, the No. 2 wireless carrier said on Wednesday, marking its latest push to
offer faster broadband service to more customers.
AT&T aims to eventually deliver speeds faster than
the 1 gigabit per second consumers can currently get through fiber internet
service using high-frequency airwaves that travel along power lines. While the
Georgia trial is in a rural area, the service could potentially be deployed in
suburbs and cities, the company said in a statement.
“We think this product is eventually one that could
actually serve anywhere near a power line,” said Marachel Knight, AT&T’s
senior vice president of wireless network architecture and design, in an
interview. She added that AT&T chose an international trial location in
part because the market opportunity extends beyond the United States.
AT&T said it had no timeline for commercial
deployment and that it would look to expand trials as it develops the
technology.
“Potentially, it can be a really big deal,” said Roger
Entner, an analyst at Recon Analytics. “You need the power company to play ball
with you. That’s the downside.”
AT&T and Verizon Communications Inc, the largest U.S.
wireless carrier, have also been testing 5G internet services in which the last
leg of the connection is delivered via a radio signal to homes using
high-frequency airwaves known as millimeter wave spectrum.
Verizon said in November it would launch the faster
broadband service in three to five U.S. markets in 2018.
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