Qualcomm has been working behind the scenes to make mesh routers a possibility. Its technology, after all, is what powers the Google Wifis and Eeros of the world. Its latest move is to make this technology much more accessible to casual customers by partnering up with internet providers and Plume Design Inc. to create a mesh router solution.
The news, announced today at Broadband World Forum 2017, breaks ground into a segment that is, for the most part, the last part to adopt the technology. The normal customer won’t understand the difference between a single router or a mesh router system and the key upgrades that can be enjoyed from the new system.
This is magnified when internet providers only offer the single router system. If you want a mesh router, you will have to venture out on your own to understand the benefits of it. Qualcomm’s partnership with internet providers, and Plume to create the software and cloud integration controls to make this happen will bring the mesh router systems right to the home of regular internet customers.
Some of the benefits of mesh routers are self-explanatory: they offer a complete mesh coverage of a home. This is most important in bigger homes, with multiple rooms and living spaces. Another important aspect of mesh routers is their ability to intelligently make decisions to provide a better experience.
An example of this would be using a computer in a specific room closer to one router. But if you move to the living room where another router lives, the mesh router system will intelligently hand off the computer to the closer and stronger connection. Qualcomm is bringing this experience to everyone, but on a bigger scale.
With the help of mesh routers ability, internet providers’ wide reach and data and Plume’s software, Qualcomm’s new system will be able to make intelligent decisions based on a specific neighborhood. Let’s say, for instance, every day at 7 PM, a block in neighborhood X sees a spike in video intake, the new system will be able to configure an individual home system to provide the best experience like handing off between different bands.
Qualcomm is also introducing Video-Over-Mesh, a video over wireless solution that optimizes the delivery of video over mesh networks. The mesh routers at home will be able to hand off devices between the strongest routers for the best video streaming. This means customers will see “high-quality, glitch-free video in every corner of the home – even in mesh Wi-Fi systems with multiple nodes.”
Qualcomm has engaged in discussions with many OEM’s—including Ace Link, Alpha Networks, Askey, Hitron, Technicolor, and WNC—to bring mesh router systems to customers some time in 2018. With its partnership with Plume, Qualcomm is making a turn-key reference design with will make it seamless for carriers to manage the mesh router systems.
If Qualcomm’s plan takes off, pretty soon, every home will have a mesh router system.