Qualcomm, Netgear Team for Mesh Wi-FI Smart Speaker

This could be the start of a trend that may accelerate in the 5G era, as the symmetrical distribution of wireless connectivity becomes key to delivering cognitive smart office and home experiences. Qualcomm and Netgear on Aug. 30 introduced a new voice-activated smart-speaker device, called Netgear Orbi Voice, that is similar to Alexa, Siri and Google in that it understands speech and can carry out requests. But there’s a big difference: This one is part of a Wi-Fi mesh network that actually strengthens itself and becomes more powerful as new plugged-in devices are connected to it. This is an example of the “network effect” as was originally intended; the more power that’s in the network, the stronger the network connections are supposed to become. Netgear Orbi Voice is built on the Qualcomm Mesh Networking platform and features home or office Wi-Fi coverage of up to 4,500 square feet. Wi-Fi dead spots do not exist in the network. This smart speaker features high-end audio by Harman Kardon and built-in Amazon voice-assistant capability, which makes it intuitive for controlling connected gadgets, queueing up music, checking traffic or weather, or buying something--all using voice command.