Nearly one-third of the world’s population, about 3 billion people, still lack reliable internet access. This is due to issues such as limited infrastructure, economic challenges, and remote locations.
Current satellite and ground networks don’t cover all areas. In many places, the terrain makes it too costly to set up traditional communication systems. High-altitude airborne stations, such as telecom equipment placed on balloons, airships, gliders, and airplanes, might help bridge internet connectivity gaps.
These stations could reach areas that ground and satellite networks can’t, offering more people the chance to connect online. This would help level out social and economic equality to some extent, enabling broader participation in the digital world, according to The Conversation.
High-speed 5G coverage from the stratosphere
Mohamed-Slim Alouini, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, played a key role in an experiment demonstrating the feasibility of providing high-speed 5G coverage from the stratosphere.
The stratosphere, located 4 to 30 miles above Earth, is where commercial planes typically fly. The experiment involved measuring signals between high-altitude platform stations and users on the ground in three different situations: a person standing still, a person driving a car, and a person operating a boat.
His colleagues assessed the strength of the signal compared to interference and background noise, which is a key measure of network reliability. The findings revealed that these high-altitude platform stations can handle high-data-rate tasks such as streaming 4K videos. Additionally, they can cover an area 15 to 20 times larger than standard ground-based towers, as reported by The Conversation.
Earlier efforts by Facebook and Google to launch platform stations commercially didn’t succeed. However, recent investments, advances in technology, and growing interest from aviation companies and aerospace startups are bringing new hope.
The ultimate aim is global connectivity. This vision earned platform stations a spot in the World Economic Forum’s 2024 Top 10 Emerging Technologies report. The HAPS Alliance, an international industry initiative that includes academic partners, is also working toward making this goal a reality.
Faster and more cost-effective than satellite-based systems
Platform stations offer several advantages over satellite-based systems. They are faster, more cost-effective, and more flexible.
Being closer to Earth, these stations can provide stronger and higher-capacity signals, which makes real-time communication possible even with standard smartphones. They also support high-resolution imaging and more sensitive sensing applications.
These stations transmit data using light beams, known as free-space optics, and large-scale antenna arrays, enabling the rapid transfer of large amounts of data, according to The Conversation.
