As of December 2017, Georgia Power has begun working with AT&T for a Georgia-based trail of AT&T’s Project AirGig – a first-of-its-kind system that could one day deliver ultra-fast internet service over power lines. The system is thought that it could one day deliver speeds of well over 1 gigabit per second via a millimeter wave (wwWave).
AT&T hopes that one day there will be no need to build new towers or bury new cables in locations close to power lines. Instead, using AirGig patented technology, AT&T and local utilities like Georgia Power would install devices to provide high speed broadband which can be clamped on by trained electrical workers in just a few minutes.
As this trial involves new equipment installed on existing Georgia Power poles, the company is working closely with AT&T to ensure there are no negative impacts to reliability or electrical service for 2.5 million customers across the state.
“Georgia Power continuously utilizes technology research and collaborates with companies like AT&T in order to introduce new products and services that help meet the changing needs of our customers,” said Paul Bowers, Chairman, President and CEO of Georgia Power. “Expanding access to high speed internet is an important initiative that provides value for all of our customers and helps us remain a competitive state in which to do business.”
For more information on Project AirGig, visit AT&T’s Newsroom.