Stratospheric Platforms and BT Partner to Revolutionize Telecommunications with 5G Beaming from HAPS Planes
Stratospheric and BT’s Partnership
Stratospheric Platforms, a company specializing in high-altitude platform systems, is taking the world of telecommunications to new heights. The company has announced its partnership with telecommunications giant BT to test the feasibility of 5G beaming from a high-altitude platform system (HAPS) plane.
This cutting-edge partnership aims to solve one of the biggest challenges in telecommunications: providing coverage to the most remote areas of the world. According to Richard Deakin, HAPS technology, combined with 5G capabilities, could revolutionize how we connect, providing seamless coverage and access to high-speed internet for even the most remote communities.
This partnership between Stratospheric Platforms and BT is a significant step towards bridging the digital divide and providing equal access to the benefits of technology for all. Furthermore, stratospheric Platforms and BT aim to demonstrate the feasibility of this innovative technology through rigorous testing and evaluation.
The results of this collaboration could lead to creating the new generation of HAPS planes. In addition, the companies will specifically design the planes for 5G beaming, offering a cost-effective and flexible solution for extending 5G coverage to remote and underserved areas.
Deakin says this technology could also improve emergency response times, support remote work and education, and provide access to new technologies and opportunities to communities previously cut off from the rest of the world.
With this exciting partnership, BT’s Tim Whitley says that Stratospheric Platforms and BT hope to demonstrate the viability of 5G beaming from a HAPS plane, paving the way for a new era of telecommunications.
The results of this collaboration could profoundly impact the future of connectivity and accessibility. This aspect will make high-speed internet a reality for even the most isolated regions on the planet. By leveraging the latest technology and working together, these companies aim to bridge the digital divide and make high-speed internet access a reality for everyone, regardless of location.
How The Technology Works
Before we dive in, you should understand 5G beaming. 5G beaming refers to transmitting 5G signals from high-altitude platforms, such as high-altitude balloons or drones, to provide wireless coverage to remote or hard-to-reach areas on the ground.
The technology involves; using high-altitude platforms to act as relay stations for 5G signals, allowing the signals to be beamed down to the ground providing coverage where traditional tower-based networks are unavailable or impractical.
This approach has the potential to offer a more cost-effective and flexible solution for extending 5G coverage, especially in areas with challenging topography or low population density. The HAPS plane is designed to fly 20 kilometers above the earth’s surface, far above the conventional airspace used by commercial airlines.
The plane will be equipped with 5G equipment that will beam 5G signals to the ground, providing coverage to a large area below. In addition, the hydrogen-powered engine will allow the plane to fly for an extended period without refueling, potentially covering an area of 15,000 km2.
The high altitude of the HAPS plane and the use of 5G technology will allow it to deliver high-speed internet access, with speeds of up to 150 Mbps per second. In addition, the coverage area of the HAPS plane will be approximately 150 km in radius, making it ideal for delivering fast, reliable internet access to remote communities.