Malaysia's YTL Communications plans to conduct a trial of the Facebook-developed Terragraph high-speed wireless communications technology in the city of George Town.
The six month trial will make Malaysia the second country in the world to trial the Terragraph technology after Hungary.
Terragraph is described by Facebook as a “60-GHz, multi-node wireless system focused on bringing high-speed internet connectivity to dense urban areas.”
The technology is designed to deliver 100% street-level coverage of gigabit Wi-Fi at a low cost by placing nodes across a city at 200 to 250 meter intervals.
According tothe Star Online, YTL Communications plans to commence the pilot at the start of next month. It will involve the provision of public Wi-Fi and fixed wireless communications in George Town
The major benefit of Terragraph will be the ability to deliver gigabit speeds without encountering the major permitting issues associated with the deployment of a fiber network.
This is particularly important for the Unesco heritage city listed George Town, where any fiber deployment would be complicated by the need to adhere to the UN's strict architectural guidelines for heritage sites.
According to the report, YTL Communications has stated that no new telecom towers will be needed for the deployment.