Instead of using a point-to-point solution like fiber, Terragraph uses a mesh network topology in which Terragraph nodes - roughly the size of a book - are placed on existing structures, such as rooftops and telephone poles. In the first phase of the rollout in Alaska, Alaska Communications plans to deploy Cambium Networks’ 60GHz cnWave fixed wireless equipment to deliver internet speeds up to 1 Gbps to 6,500 homes and businesses in Alaska, reaching locations that previously had limited access to high-speed internet. We don’t operate or deploy networks, so we work with the ecosystem, especially with service providers, system integrators, and equipment manufacturers, to effectively bring Terragraph to market across the world,” says Sampath. “ With Terragraph, we deliver fiber-like speeds without the fiber.
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“Facebook’s mission is to bring the world closer together, and that relies on people getting access to a better internet,” says Praveen Sampath, a Product Marketing Manager for Terragraph at Facebook.įacebook Connectivity licenses Terragraph for free to various partners around the world, including Cambium Networks, so service providers and equipment manufacturers can focus their energies on deploying this technology rather than doing the R&D themselves. For many years, Cambium Networks has been deploying wireless solutions in challenging conditions in order to connect people in places ranging from Penang, Malaysia, to Puerto Rico.įacebook Connectivity developed Terragraph technology as part of its efforts to help expand affordable, reliable high-speed internet access, particularly in underconnected regions. “If you have a break in the fiber connection, the idea of having to identify where that break is and to splice it becomes a lot more challenging and expensive when the ground is frozen,” says Derek Underwood, a regional VP of North America for Cambium Networks. Many internet service providers have found that running trenched fiber for the final distance to homes and businesses is prohibitively expensive and time-consuming in Alaska’s harsh terrain. Terragraph operates in the unlicensed 60GHz spectrum and deploys multi-gigabit data rates faster and at a fraction of the cost of trenched fiber.
For users who prefer not to use cable internet, satellite internet from HughesNet is also available.Ĭommercial users in Fairbanks have the same options as residents.To address this gap, Alaska Communications announced it would begin deploying equipment from Cambium Networks enabled by Terragraph, a gigabit wireless technology developed and licensed by Facebook Connectivity. provides cable internet to 100% of area homes. DSL and fiber optics are not available in Fairbanks. Compared with just 63% of Alaska, 100% of Fairbanks residents can access high speed internet.Ĭonnection options in Fairbanks are severely limited. Residents rely on their internet connection to connect with loved ones deployed overseas, connect with their community and follow what's happening in the lower 48 states. Fairbanks residents tend be well-educated and upper-middle class. Nearly 12% of the population are members of the armed forces. Fairbanks is the second largest city in Alaska.