A third of the world’s population lacks internet connectivity. Airborne communications stations could still change that.
– telecommunications equipment positioned high in the air, on uncrewed balloons, airships, gliders and aeroplanes – could increase social and economic equality by filling internet connectivity gaps in ground and satellite coverage. This could allow more people to participate fully in the digital age.. The stratosphere is the second lowest layer of the atmosphere, ranging from 6.5km to 48km above the Earth. Commercial planes usually fly in the lower part of the stratosphere.
My colleagues measured how strong the signal is in relation to interference and background noise levels. This is one of the measures of network reliability. The results showed that the platform stations can support high-data-rate applications such as streaming 4K resolution videos and can cover 15-20x the area of standard terrestrial towers.
Gliders and powered aircraft can be controlled more precisely than balloons, which are sensitive to variations in wind speed. In addition, powered aircraft, which include drones and fixed-wing airplanes, can provide electricity to communication equipment, sensors and cameras.improvements in stratospheric weather models and atmospheric modelsCommerical deployment of platform stations, at least for post-disaster or emergency situations, could be in place by the end of the decade.
Platform stations could bridge the digital divide by increasing access to critical services such as education and health care, providing new economic opportunities and improving emergency response and environmental monitoring. As advances in technology continue to drive their evolution, platform stations are set to play a crucial role in a more inclusive and resilient digital future.
The authors are Mohamed-Slim Alouini, distinguished professor of electrical & computer engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, and Mariette DiChristina, dean and professor of the practice in journalism, College of Communication, Boston UniversityThe work we do at TechCentral is made possible through the support of our commercial partners. Please help us produce the original and quality South African technology journalism you value by disabling your ad blocker.
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