Gigabit Ethernet For The SmartHome, Part 2

The Internet data highway is littered with companies that have promised high-speed and gigabit Ethernet to the home. This list of hopefuls includes Verizon FiOS, AT&T GigaPower, Google Fiber, Comcast Gigabit Pro and others. Many municipalities have also tried, mostly unsuccessfully, to roll out their own high-speed Internet to their citizens.

A new company, Starry, is gearing up for their “Starry Internet” offering to bring gigabit speeds to everyone.

In part one of this series we reviewed the hardware from Starry, the Starry Station – Touchscreen WiFi Router ($266.98).

In part two, we focus on the service side of getting gigabit data to the home. Starry Internet is advertised as “Gigabit-capable wireless internet for everyone.”

Below is the companies overview of their technology application:

With Starry Internet, the company is pioneering the use of millimeter waves as an alternative to fixed wireline broadband. Using the world’s first millimeter wave active phased array for consumer internet communications, Starry is capable today of achieving speeds of up to a gigabit of internet service, wirelessly, with deployment costs that are a fraction of the cost of deploying traditional wired broadband.

By using OFDM modulation coupled with MIMO as a foundation, along with active phased array RF front ends, Starry’s technological architecture enables it to leverage OFDM radio technology, including MU-MIMO, in a dense architecture across multiple licensed spectrum bands, including ultra high frequency millimeter waves, to deliver high speed broadband to your home or business through a self-installed home receiver.

Let’s explain some of those terms:

millimeter wave – This general frequency band is 30 GHz to 300 GHz

Active Phased Array – A type of smart antenna which can be dynamically controlled for better performance.

OFDM – Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing: With this method, multiple singles are used to simultaneously communicate information.

MU-MIMO: Multi-User Multiple Input Multiple Output: This architecture uses multiple transmitters and receivers to to increase the amount of data transmitted / received, when compared with a single transmitter / receiver.

Getting hooked up to their service is simple: A “Starry Point” communications module is placed on the roof and connected to your existing wiring and power. No need for an 8-hour time window to wait for a technician to come out; No drilling holes; No pulling cables or wires. Once the unit is powered up, it will automatically configure itself with the Starry network, and will also automate its own software upgrades. It’s intended to be set up and then forgotten.

One great thing about be able to get this much data, that there will be absolutely no data caps with Starry Internet. Hopefully that policy will remain in place as more consumers start using the service. For now, you can only get access to Starry Internet through their closed-pilot program underway in downtown Boston, Somerville, Cambridge, and Quincy, MA. Coming soon to your town! Monthly service pricing will be announced as the roll out continues to additional cities.