Facebook's latest Internet access experiment in the developing world might rely on millimeter wave technology.
That's according to patents obtained by The Verge, which reports that Facebook is researching networks that use extremely high-frequency bands, some of which are unlicensed in the U.S.
It works by taking advantage of radio frequencies that have very little traffic, like the unlicensed 60Gz band. Those frequencies are perfectly suited to support millimeter waves that can deliver extremely high speeds, possibly gigabit levels.
The technology itself isn't new, nor is Facebook the only company interested in harnessing it. Starry, a start-up that has big plans to compete with major ISPs in the U.S., is planning to use it to avoid laying expensive cables to reach customers. There is a trade-off, though: not-so-great range. Starry plans to solve that problem by installing multiple base stations on the roofs of buildings in urban areas.
One of the Facebook patents describe a similar model: multiple computers that use millimeter waves as links in a mesh network. As with all patents, the implementation of this idea is far from certain. The main challenge for Facebook would be installing a base station network in developing areas that have limited infrastructure.
Still, the social media giant has already proven it won't shy away from ambitious ideas to bring Internet to the developing world. That includes plans for Internet drones and its own satellite network.
This article originally appeared on PCMag.com.