Mobile chip maker Qualcomm Technologies Inc. has unveiled a new mesh networking platform that’s intended to manage and improve the use of consumer Internet of Things devices in the home.

The platform was unveiled Tuesday at the Computex trade show in Taiwan. Qualcomm said the platform is made up of several of its networking and communications technologies, and will enable broadband carriers and equipment manufacturers to deliver “more sophisticated, efficient, next-generation connected home experiences.” The company also reckons it will improve connectivity to smart devices in the home, and will add centralized management and security, voice control capabilities and “mesh system features” it says are essential for carrier-grade networks.

Typical mesh networking topology generally relies on multiple nodes and routers that are linked together. The idea is that this spreads data and communication streams so that signal strength is enhanced and data can be delivered faster.

Qualcomm said its Mesh Networking Platform is based on its IPQ40x8/9 network system-on-chip, which is already used by several mesh networking products currently on the market. The platform also comes with Qualcomm’s Wi-Fi Self-Organizing feature suite and IoT Connectivity suite, which is designed to enable simultaneous use of Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, CSRmesh and 802.15.4 connectivity technologies. In addition, it comes with carrier-grade features such as cloud-based analytics and diagnostics, the company said.

“Qualcomm Technologies helped create a new category of mesh networks that are transforming in-home connectivity,” said Gopi Sirineni, vice president of product management at Qualcomm. “New capabilities like voice assistance and IoT radio integration will not only transform consumer experiences at home but along with carrier-grade feature enhancements, make it easier for our customers to adopt and deploy mesh systems aligned to how people want their networks to perform.”

In addition to the platform, Qualcomm has also unveiled a mesh networking reference design that serves as a blueprint for companies that want to build their own mesh networking products.

Image: Qualcomm via Facebook