Connectivity: A building block approach

This post details Meta's 'building block' strategy for global connectivity, focusing on specific technologies for different use cases. For dense urban centers, it introduces Terragraph, a multi-node wireless system extending fiber using wireless, with a pilot deployment in San Jose. It highlights the challenge of line-of-sight obstructions for 60GHz channels and the software developed to route around them in real-time. For rural regions, it discusses MMW and aircraft technology, referencing Aquila (solar-powered UAV) and record-breaking MMW (36 Gbps over 13 km) and optical cross-link (80 Gbps over 13 km) data transfer achievements. It also mentions a ground-to-air MMW record (16 Gbps to a Cessna). For emergency situations, it introduces Tether-tenna, a helicopter-based solution for rapid connectivity restoration.